Rulings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Decisions rendered by authorized entities serve to define legal outcomes and clarify procedural standards across various contexts
2. Formal judgments or decisions made by courts or officials to resolve disputes or interpret laws
3. Authoritative conclusions reached by an entity empowered to decide matters within its scope

Etymology: The Latin "regula" meant a straight stick, the tool used to guide a pen when drawing a line. Lines drawn with such a straightedge were "ruled," so a ruler and a rule share a root with the idea of governing. The same Latin word also gave the sense of a standard to follow, and keeping lines straight came to mean keeping things in order. The link runs through "regere," meaning to lead straight or to direct. Someone who directs others holds authority, so "rule" came to mean governing power and then a binding decision about how things should go. Adding the suffix "-ing" turns the verb into a noun for the act or result of ruling, which is how a court's decision on a point of law came to be called a ruling.

Synonyms: decisions, verdicts, judgments

Antonyms: disputes, challenges