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Glite Dictionary
Golden Rule

Golden Rule

5 3.7
Treat other people as you want them to treat you
  • noun
  • /ˈɡoʊldən ruːl/
translation icon : Regla de Oro
  • Sadly, sometimes people forget all about the Golden Rule or choose to for their own purposes.

I don't think I can beat the golden Rule.

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Examples

  • We wrote the book based on the golden rule, treat other people as you like to be treated yourself.

    Ed Mylett

  • What someone told me is the Golden Rule: do unto others as you would do unto yourself.

    Blog text (7)

  • - Just following the Golden Rule.

    I Love Trouble (1994)

  • Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule.

    Academic text (2009)

  • One form or another of the Golden Rule, for example, appears in all cultures.

    Academic text (2002)

  • What happened to the golden rule of treating others as you would want to be treated?

    Blog text (8)

  • Underlying each of these points is the Golden Rule: to treat others as you would have them treat you.

    Blog text (10)

  • The Golden Rule says: do unto others as you want to be done unto.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • But I have tried to live by your laws: the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Golden Rule.

    Robot Monster (1953)

  • The Golden Rule teaches us to treat others as we would like to be treated ourselves.

Synonyms

principle
vsGolden Rule
410 3.4

A moral rule that guides what you think is right or wrong

is specifically about reciprocal treatment of others rather than broad moral rules
commandment
vsGolden Rule
141 6.7

An important rule given by a religious or moral leader

is a reciprocal moral guideline based on mutual treatment, not a formal obligation
moral principle
vsGolden Rule
8 4.4

A rule or belief about what is right and wrong that guides how people act

focuses on reciprocal treatment of others rather than general moral choices

Surface Forms

Golden Rule singular
Golden Rules plural

Morphology

golden + rule

A B1 learner who knows 'golden' (valuable/excellent) and 'rule' (a guiding principle) can infer that 'Golden Rule' refers to an especially important or valued rule, but they are unlikely to derive the specific moral formula 'treat others as you would like to be treated' without cultural or contextual knowledge. The phrase is partially compositional (golden → important; rule → guideline) but its conventional, culturally loaded content makes the meaning only partially predictable.

Etymology

Golden Rule comes from a teaching by Jesus that says 'treat others as you would like to be treated.' The word golden shows the rule is very valuable and rule means a guide, so the phrase now means that simple idea of treating people well.