INDEX:
1. a rule
2. rules of acceptable behaviour
RELATED WORDS
the law of a country or society : ↑ LAW
see also
↑ STRICT/NOT STRICT
↑ PUNISH
◆◆◆
1. a rule
▷ rule /ruːl/ [countable noun]
an instruction that says what people are allowed to do or not allowed to do, for example in a game, or in a school or organization :
▪ No one’s allowed to ride with the driver. That’s a company rule.
▪ It says in the rules that every child has to wear school uniform.
against the rules
not allowed by the rules
▪ It is strictly against the rules for athletes to take drugs.
break a rule
disobey it
▪ I have no sympathy for Jonson. He broke the rules and got caught, that’s all.
rules govern something
say how something should be done
▪ There have been some changes in the rules governing the use of safety equipment.
hard and fast rule
a definite fixed rule
▪ These are just guidelines, not hard and fast rules.
▷ regulation /ˌregjɑˈleɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun usually plural]
an official rule made by a government or organization, which is part of a set of rules :
▪ Under the new regulations, coach drivers must take a break every four hours.
building/planning/environmental regulations
▪ The building regulations are very strict about the materials you can use.
safety/fire regulations
▪ Safety regulations affecting dangerous fluids must be scrupulously observed.
comply with/conform to a regulation
be correct according to a regulation
▪ All cars sold in Germany must conform to the regulations laid down by the Federal Road Safety Board.
contravene/breach a regulation
formal do something that is forbidden by it
▪ Anyone who takes milk from an unhealthy cow will be contravening public health regulations.
▷ restriction /rɪˈstrɪkʃ ə n/ [countable noun usually plural]
an official rule that limits what people can do :
restriction on
▪ There are restrictions on what you can bring into the country. Alcohol, for example, is totally forbidden.
impose a restriction
bring it into operation
▪ The restrictions imposed by the censors make objective reporting of news impossible.
lift a restriction
stop it from operating
▪ Congress voted to lift trade restrictions against Iran.
travel/price/import restrictions
rules that limit the amount that someone can travel, how much something can cost etc
▪ For a while they tried using price restrictions as a way of controlling inflation.
▷ law /lɔː/ [countable noun usually plural]
one of the rules that say how a sport should be played :
▪ FIFA is the organization that runs world football and decides whether any of the laws should be changed.
law of
▪ the laws of cricket
▷ code /kəʊd/ [countable noun]
a set of rules that people or organizations agree to obey but are not forced to obey :
code of
▪ He will be dealt with under our code of discipline.
code of practice
rules saying what a particular type of organization should or should not do
▪ A new code of practice governing the advertising of tobacco products is being introduced.
code of conduct
rules saying how members of a profession should behave
▪ Hobbs had blatantly ignored the legal profession’s code of conduct.
moral/religious code
▪ people who follow some strict religious code
▷ rules and regulations /ˌruːlz ən regjɑˈleɪʃ ə nz/ [noun phrase]
a set of rules - use this when you think the rules are too detailed or cause unnecessary inconvenience :
▪ There were so many petty rules and regulations that some companies stopped trying to export their products.
2. rules of acceptable behaviour
▷ convention /kənˈvenʃ ə n/ [countable/uncountable noun]
the rules and customs of acceptable behaviour, which are generally accepted by the members of a group or society :
▪ He is a flamboyant millionaire who ignores social conventions.
convention of
▪ She shocked her neighbours by ignoring every convention of respectable society.
a matter of convention
▪ It is a matter of convention that male business people usually wear suits.
defy convention
do something unconventional
▪ For the next four years they defied convention by living as man and wife when they were not.
▷ protocol /ˈprəʊtəkɒlǁ-kɔːl/ [uncountable noun]
the system of rules for behaviour on official occasions :
▪ According to protocol, he was to arrive at the meeting exactly five minutes early.
breach of protocol
behaviour not according to protocol
▪ Touching the Queen was a breach of royal protocol.
▷ etiquette /ˈetɪketǁ-kət/ [uncountable noun]
the rules of polite behaviour in society or in a particular group :
▪ Etiquette is especially important on occasions such as weddings and funerals.
breach of etiquette
behaviour not according to etiquette
▪ It was considered a breach of etiquette to refuse an invitation.
professional etiquette
the etiquette followed by people working in a particular profession
▪ Professional etiquette dictates that judges should not express their opinions about a case in public.
▷ unwritten law /ˌʌnrɪtn ˈlɔː/ [countable noun]
a rule or way of behaving that is not official but is accepted by most members of a society or group :
▪ It was an unwritten law of the Mafia that nobody should talk to the police.
▪ Jobs like this never go to women -- it just seems to be one of those unwritten laws of business.
▷ netiquette /ˈnetɪket/ [uncountable noun] informal
the commonly accepted rules for polite behaviour when you are communicating with other people on the Internet :
▪ Sending an angry e-mail in capital letters breaks the rules of netiquette.