as a rule
28
2.8
- idiom
:
por lo general
- As a rule, he plays slowly between points, well within himself.
Anger, as a rule, does not feel good.
- Anger, as a rule, does not feel good.
- So biochemists as a rule, do not like asking why.
- I'm not really that fond of flashbacks as a rule, especially to reveal wounds.
- I'd say as a rule most of them are non Zionist.
- Grief without closure is much harder as a rule.
- He says, as a rule, this is an express and mutual agreement.
- Keep in mind that as a rule, narcissists are very extroverted, OK?
- Or it's just as, as a as a rule, it's well, something we shouldn't do.
- But you have to, you cannot, as a rule, punish other people for you didn't communicate.
Examples
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You know, as a rule, Americans speak German with a very bad accent.
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As a rule, no.
-
Anger, as a rule, does not feel good.
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Well, as a rule, we never go north of 1 0.
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Different explanations have been given for why women, as a rule, do not wear masks.
Academic text (1998) -
Studies were carried out in real classrooms, as a rule in experimental schools.
Academic text (1992) -
Nonetheless, the fact is that the current world economic system is, as a rule, inhospitable toward Africa.
Academic text (1990) -
Beijing leaders, as a rule, do not trust Chinese who hold foreign passports.
Academic text (1999) -
But democracies, as a rule, grow out of conflict and dissension.
Academic text (1992) -
As a rule, I eat dinner at 7 PM every night.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Usually or in most cases
884
1.0
In the usual way that people expect
426
2.2
In the usual way for a person, thing, or group
317
1.0
In the normal way people expect in that situation
219
1.6
Says something is true most of the time, not about small details
152
2.1
It is the usual amount when you look at all cases together
89
3.4
To say that something is true in most cases
78
3.0
In most situations
52
2.6
Happens most of the time
The usual result appears when you look at many things together
Antonyms
How Often
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'usually; in general' is directly derivable from reading 'as' + 'a' + 'rule' as 'in the manner of a rule' or 'according to the usual rule', so a learner who knows the constituents can infer the intended sense. The phrase is a compositional, conventionalized adverbial with equivalents in other languages (e.g., Spanish 'por regla general'), making it immediately accessible to B1 learners.
Etymology
As a rule comes from the simple idea of following a rule or set of rules that tell people what to do most of the time. So, as a rule means 'usually' or 'in general'.