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rule out

verb

Simple meaning

To reject an option from a list of possibilities.

Pronunciation

Say it like this:

roolowt

Say the bold part a little louder.

US device voice
IPA pronunciation (US)

ˈɹuˈlaʊt

This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.

Word Review

Definition

Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.

verb

  1. idiomatictransitive

    To reject an option from a list of possibilities.

  2. idiomatictransitive

    To make something impossible.

  3. transitive

    To make unavailable.

  4. transitive

    To disallow.

  5. transitive

    To cross an item out by drawing a straight line through it, as with a ruler.

Word Aura™

How this word commonly comes across.

Aura for this meaning

This meaning: To reject an option from a list of possibilities.

Used this way, rule out is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.

Emotional tone
Neutral
Formality
Neutral
Intensity
Not strongly marked
How common
Moderately common
Connotation
No strong connotation
Usage feel
Neutral and straightforward

Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.

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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.