by the book

prepositional phrase

In a manner which strictly adheres to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

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Meanings

prepositional phrase

alternative by-the-book

  1. idiomaticIn a manner which strictly adheres to rules, legal requirements, or official procedures.

    As far as he is concerned, he umpired by the book.

    2006 August 27, Simon Robinson, “It's Not Just Cricket”, in Time
  2. broadlyidiomaticIn a manner which appears too studied, ritualized, and therefore artificial.

    Romeo: Sin from thy lips? O trespass sweetly urged! Give me my sin again. They kiss again. Juliet: You kiss by th' book.

    c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene v]

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
by the numberscustomaryhalalhomodoxkosherorthodoxproperroutinestandard

Translations

Finnish sääntöjen mukaan
  • sääntöjen mukaanin a manner which adheres strictly to rules
French à la lettre, au pied de la lettre
  • à la lettrein a manner which adheres strictly to rules
  • au pied de la lettrein a manner which adheres strictly to rules
  • littéralementin a manner which adheres strictly to rules
  • dans les clousin a manner which adheres strictly to rules
German vorschriftsmäßig, nach Vorschrift
  • vorschriftsmäßigin a manner which adheres strictly to rules
  • nach Vorschriftin a manner which adheres strictly to rules
Italian come da manuale
  • come da manualein a manner which adheres strictly to rules
Polish zgodnie z przepisami
  • zgodnie z przepisamiin a manner which adheres strictly to rules
Russian по всем правилам, строго по инструкции
  • по всем правилам (po vsem pravilam)in a manner which adheres strictly to rules
  • строго по инструкции (strogo po instrukcii)in a manner which adheres strictly to rules
Spanish a toda ley
  • a toda leyin a manner which adheres strictly to rules
Cite this entry
APA

by the book. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20the%20book

MLA

“by the book.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20the%20book. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “by the book,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/by%20the%20book.

Source: by the book on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.