rules are made to be broken
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: rules are meant to be broken · rules are there to be broken
Meaning · English
It is acceptable to break rules.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “rules are made to be broken” mean?
It is acceptable to break rules.
Is “rules are made to be broken” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.