Noun: guideline 'gId,lIn
- A rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behaviour
"As a guideline, invest no more than 10% of your portfolio in a single stock";
- guidepost, rule of thumb
- A detailed plan or explanation to guide you in setting standards or determining a course of action
"the president said he had a guideline for normalizing relations with Vietnam";
- road map
- A light line that is used in lettering to help align the letters
"The calligrapher used guidelines to keep her writing straight and even"
Derived forms: guidelines
Type of: counsel, counseling [US], counselling [Brit, Cdn], direction, guidance, line, plan, program [N. Amer], programme [Brit, Cdn], regulation, rule
Encyclopedia: Guideline