Meaning & use
ruled
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“ruled” is a form of “rule”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
past tense and past participle of rule: controlled a country or made an official decision.
Grammar: As a verb, it can take an object (ruled the country) or be used without one (the king ruled for 30 years).
Patterns
- ruled something
- ruled that ...
- ruled on something
The queen ruled the kingdom for over forty years.
The judge ruled that the evidence could not be used.
The committee ruled against the proposal.
adjectivebefore a noun
having straight lines printed or drawn on the surface, especially paper.
Grammar: Used before a noun: ruled paper, a ruled notebook. Not usually after a verb.
Patterns
- ruled paper
- ruled notebook
- ruled lines
She wrote her essay on ruled paper.
He bought a ruled notebook for his math class.
The index cards are ruled on one side.
Common combinations
- ruled paper
- Please use ruled paper for your handwriting practice.
- ruled notebook
- I always carry a small ruled notebook.
- ruled that
- The court ruled that the law was unconstitutional.
- ruled against
- The judge ruled against the defendant.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lined
- More common for paper with lines; ruled is also correct but slightly more formal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: ruled or rulled?
ruled vs rulled
This is a common misspelling. The correct spelling is ruled, with one l.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Ruled is the past tense of rule and is spelled with one l. 'Rulled' is a misspelling, 'rule' is the present tense, and 'ruling' needs a helping verb like was.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ruled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.