English Reference
adjective

ruling

adj.
US /ˈɹuɫɪŋ/ UK /ɹˈuːlɪŋ/ rul·ing UK spelling rulings

  1. 01 B2 Upper Intermediate

    describing a person, group, or party that is currently in control of a country or organization.

    exercising control or authority; currently reigning or governing.

    Simple

    The ruling party has promised to lower taxes before the next election.

    In context

    The ruling coalition faced significant internal pressure to reform the healthcare system before the parliamentary session concluded.

Usage ruling coalition · ruling party

Speaking after Cheema-Grubb's ruling was made, Cat said Razzell was continuing to harm her family and was "actively choosing to be controlling and abusive from within prison".

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

Judge Bryan Biedscheid said in a ruling late Thursday that the bulk of the money will be used for treatment services for young people.

NPR· 7 Aug 2026

By surface analysis, rule + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Common
Updated