rules of thumb

Meaning

1. 1nounplural

   Simple practical guidelines based on experience that are usually right but not exact.

   Grammar: Plural of rule of thumb: these rules of thumb help beginners.

   Patterns

   • rules of thumb for something
   • as a rule of thumb

   Cooks use rules of thumb, like one cup of rice to two of water.

   These rules of thumb help new investors avoid big mistakes.

   Rules of thumb are handy, but they will not fit every case.

Common combinations

follow rules of thumb

Most beginners follow rules of thumb when they start gardening.

useful rules of thumb

The book offers useful rules of thumb for budgeting.

general rules of thumb

General rules of thumb can still mislead you.

simple rules of thumb

Simple rules of thumb save time when you plan a trip.

rules of thumb for

He wrote rules of thumb for teaching math.

Synonyms and how they differ

guidelines

Guidelines are more formal and may be official, while rules of thumb come from practice and are informal.

general principles

General principles are broader and more theoretical than rules of thumb, which are practical shortcuts.

tips

Tips are single bits of advice, while rules of thumb are guidelines you can apply to many cases.

heuristics

Heuristics is the technical term used in psychology and computing for mental shortcuts.

Opposites

Word family

rule of thumb noun

the singular form

rule noun

a guide that tells you what to do

thumb noun

the short, thick finger

Commonly confused: rules of thumb or thumb rules?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “rules of thumb”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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