guideline

n.

1.

a formal rule describing how a situation must be handled; - used as a direction to administrators from superiors.

Noun	1.	guideline - a light line that is used in lettering to help align the letters
	2.	guideline - a detailed plan or explanation to guide you in setting standards or determining a course of action; "the president said he had a road map for normalizing relations with Vietnam" Synonyms: road map
	3.	guideline - a rule or principle that provides guidance to appropriate behavior Synonyms: guidepost, rule of thumb

Procrustean law, approach, arrangement, attack, blueprint, blueprinting, calculation, canon, charting, code, commandment, conception, contrivance, convention, criterion, design, device, dictum, disposition, enterprise, envisagement, figuring, foresight, forethought, form, formality, formula, formulary, game, general principle, golden rule, graphing, ground plan, guidelines, guiding principle, idea, imperative, intention, law, law of nature, layout, lineup, long-range plan, mapping, master plan, maxim, method, methodology, mitzvah, moral, norm, norma, operations research, order of nature, ordinance, organization, plan, planning, planning function, prearrangement, prescribed form, prescription, principium, principle, procedure, program, program of action, rationalization, regulation, rubric, rule, schedule, schema, schematism, schematization, scheme, scheme of arrangement, set form, settled principle, setup, standard, standing order, strategic plan, strategy, system, systematization, tactical plan, tactics, tenet, the big picture, the picture, universal law, way, working plan, working principle, working rule