guideline

plural guidelines

1. A non-specific rule or principle that provides direction to action or behaviour.

   He considered the Ten Commandments more as a guideline than a requirement.

   2 more examples

   In 2009, the Obama Administration released guidelines on enhanced interrogation written in 2003 and 2004 by the CIA Office of Medical Services. ^((OMS).1-3(appendix F)) The OMS guidelines, even in redacted form, and opinions from the US Department of Justice's (DOJ’s) Office of Legal Counsel show that CIA physicians, psychologists, and other health care personnel had important roles in enhanced interrogation.

   2010 August 4, Leonard S. Rubenstein, JD; Stephen N. Xenakis, MD, “The Ethics of Enhanced Interrogations and Torture: A Reappraisal of the Argument”, in JAMA, volume 304, number 5, American Medical Association, →DOI, archived from the original on 28 Mar 2022, pages 569–570

   In 2016, the CDC established guidelines for prescribing narcotics for chronic pain.

   2017 March 20, Nadia Kounang, “Prescriptions may hold clues to who gets hooked on opioids, study says”, in CNN, archived from the original on 06 Feb 2018

   Synonyms: rule of thumb

2. A plan or explanation to guide one in setting standards or determining a course of action.

   Synonyms: rule of thumb, guidepost

3. A light line, used in lettering, to help align the text.

present singular third person guidelines · participle present guidelining · participle past guidelined · past guidelined

1. To provide guidelines for.

   Now we are not just guidelining the work, but implementing it as well. That extra step allows us to fully flesh out every element of the visual language and drive the strategy home.

   2015, Steven Heller, Veronique Vienne, Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer, page 60