ruling

/ˈrulɪŋ/

/ˈrulɪŋ/

Other forms: rulings; rulingly

The official decision a judge makes is a ruling. You can also use this word as an adjective, to describe something or someone in charge, like a ruling political party.

The group with political power in a country might be described as the ruling coalition, and the government itself could be called the ruling authority. When it's a noun, the word ruling has a legal meaning: it's the court's opinion. This definition dates from the 1550s, from the verb rule, from its Latin root regula, "straight stick or bar."

Definitions of ruling

1. adjective

   exercising power or authority
   synonyms: hegemonic, regnant, reigning

   impactful, powerful

   having great power or force or potency or effect
2. noun

   the reason for a court's judgment (as opposed to the decision itself)
   synonyms: opinion

   examples:

   Bakke decision

   a ruling by the Supreme Court on affirmative action; the Court ruled in 1978 that medical schools are entitled to consider race as a factor in their admission policy

   types:

   fatwa

   a ruling on a point of Islamic law that is given by a recognized authority

   type of:

   judgement, judgment, judicial decision

   (law) the determination by a court of competent jurisdiction on matters submitted to it