ground rule
noun
1
: a sports rule adopted to modify play on a particular field, court, or course
2
: a rule of procedure
ground rules for selecting a superintendent—
Amer. School Board Jour.
Amer. School Board Jour.
Examples of ground rule in a Sentence
before the debate begins, let's lay out some ground rules
Recent Examples on the Web
The official spoke on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the administration.
—Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024
The disconnect between Trump and his team was apparent this week over ground rules for his Sept. 10 debate with Harris on ABC.
—Mike Allen, Axios, 31 Aug. 2024
Niccol needs to set some ground rules in discussions with Schultz, and then manage that relationship carefully, said Lassman, the Carnegie Mellon professor.
—Peter Green, Quartz, 31 Aug. 2024
The most important step schools can take now is to set clear ground rules for protests that will be applied neutrally — no matter who’s involved or what their cause — such as prohibiting occupying buildings or blocking students from getting to class.
—Nicole Narea, Vox, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ground rule 
Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 12 Sep. 2024
The disconnect between Trump and his team was apparent this week over ground rules for his Sept. 10 debate with Harris on ABC.
—Mike Allen, Axios, 31 Aug. 2024
Niccol needs to set some ground rules in discussions with Schultz, and then manage that relationship carefully, said Lassman, the Carnegie Mellon professor.
—Peter Green, Quartz, 31 Aug. 2024
The most important step schools can take now is to set clear ground rules for protests that will be applied neutrally — no matter who’s involved or what their cause — such as prohibiting occupying buildings or blocking students from getting to class.
—Nicole Narea, Vox, 15 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for ground rule
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ground rule.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ground rule
Cite this Entry
“Ground rule.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ground%20rule. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
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