rule of thumb

R r

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [rool uhv, ov thuhm]
- /rul ʌv, ɒv θʌm/
- /ruːl əv θʌm/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [rool uhv, ov thuhm]
- /rul ʌv, ɒv θʌm/

Definitions of rule of thumb words

noun rule of thumb a general or approximate principle, procedure, or rule based on experience or practice, as opposed to a specific, scientific calculation or estimate. 1
noun rule of thumb a rough, practical method of procedure. 1
noun rule of thumb general indication, rough guide 1
phrase rule of thumb A rule of thumb is a rule or principle that you follow which is not based on exact calculations, but rather on experience. 0
noun rule of thumb a rough and practical approach, based on experience, rather than a scientific or precise one based on theory 0
noun rule of thumb (as modifier) 0

See all 9 definitions of rule of thumb

Information block about the term

Origin of rule of thumb

First appearance:

before 1685

One of the 48% oldest English words

First recorded in 1685-95

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Rule of thumb

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Rule of thumb

rule of thumb popularity

A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 31% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.

According to our data about 66% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

rule of thumb usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for rule of thumb

noun rule of thumb

m.o. — modus operandi.
mo — moment (def 1).
modus operandi — mode of operating or working.
mos — Metal Oxide Semiconductor
workings — Plural form of working.

All 5 Synonyms of rule of thumb