nonrule

plural nonrules · alternative non-rule

1. Something that is not a rule.

   How about nonrules? Where do they come from? We said previously that many nonrules are based on an attempt to force English grammar into the mold of Latin.

   1997, Edward L. Smith, Stephen A. Bernhardt, Writing at Work: Professional Writing Skills for People on the Job, McGraw Hill Professional, →ISBN, page 26

   2 more examples

   Right now, let’s attend to a few of what I think of as the Great Nonrules of the English Language. […] Why are they nonrules? So far as I’m concerned, because they’re largely unhelpful, pointlessly constricting, feckless, and useless.

   2019, Benjamin Dreyer, Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style, Random House, →ISBN, pages 7–8

   Third – and here’s the clincher – you gotta distinguish between valid rules and nonrules. Now if you’re one of them prescriptivists, I’m gonna free you of five nonrules: Nonrule 1: Never split infinitives.

   2023, Stephen Wilbers, Persuasive Communication for Science and Technology Leaders: Writing and Speaking with Confidence, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., →ISBN, page 104