rule of engagement

noun

An internal rule among a military, police, etc. force defining the circumstances in which and manner with which to use force.

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Meanings

nounrule of engagement (plural rules of engagement)

plural rules of engagement

  1. in pluralgovernmentAn internal rule among a military, police, etc. force defining the circumstances in which and manner with which to use force.

    The military, which acknowledged that the killings violated its rules of engagement, announced the deaths on Friday, hours after saying it had recovered the bodies of three other Israeli hostages in Gaza.

    2023 December 16, Aaron Boxerman, Ben Hubbard, Thomas Fuller, “Israel Says 3 Hostages Bore White Flag Before Being Killed by Troops”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
  2. figurativelytransferred senseAn implied set of rules for when to undertake a certain approach.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 武力使用規則 /武力使用规则, 隱含規則 /隐含规则
  • 武力使用規則 /武力使用规则 (wǔlì shǐyòng guīzé)internal rule defining how to use force
  • 隱含規則 /隐含规则 (yǐnhán guīzé)implied set of rules
Finnish voimankäyttösääntö, käyttäytymissääntö
  • voimankäyttösääntöinternal rule defining how to use force
  • käyttäytymissääntöimplied set of rules
French règle d'engagement
  • règle d'engagementinternal rule defining how to use force
German Einsatzregel
  • Einsatzregelinternal rule defining how to use force
Greek κατάχρηση εξουσίας
  • κατάχρηση εξουσίας (katáchrisi exousías)internal rule defining how to use force
Italian regola di ingaggio
  • regola di ingaggiointernal rule defining how to use force
Polish przepisy angażowania
  • przepisy angażowaniainternal rule defining how to use force
Spanish regla de enfrentamiento
  • regla de enfrentamientointernal rule defining how to use force
Swedish insatsregel
  • insatsregelinternal rule defining how to use force
Cite this entry
APA

rule of engagement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rule%20of%20engagement

MLA

“rule of engagement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rule%20of%20engagement. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rule of engagement,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rule%20of%20engagement.

Source: rule of engagement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.