Definition

1. Noun:
   • Fixed convention; established regulation: A rule, custom, or practice that has been formally set and is generally accepted or followed.
   • Established usage; precedent: A way of doing things that has become standard through long-standing practice or formal decree.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Theo định lệ của công ty, mọi nhân viên phải điểm danh lúc 8 giờ sáng. (According to the company's fixed convention, all employees must clock in at 8 a.m.)
  • Phong tục đó đã trở thành một định lệ trong làng. (That custom has become an established regulation in the village.)
  • Họ hành xử theo những định lệ có từ trăm năm trước. (They act according to established usages from a hundred years ago.)

Advanced Usage

• "theo đúng định lệ": in accordance with the established convention.

  • Mọi việc đều phải được tiến hành theo đúng định lệ. (Everything must be carried out in accordance with the established convention.)

• "phá bỏ định lệ": to break with convention.

  • Anh ấy là người dám phá bỏ những định lệ cũ. (He is someone who dares to break with old conventions.)

Variants and Related Words

• Quy định (n): regulation, rule. (A prescribed guideline or rule, often more specific and written than 'định lệ'.)
• Tập quán (n): custom, practice. (A traditional and widely accepted way of behaving or doing something.)
• Tiền lệ (n): precedent. (An earlier event or action that is regarded as an example to be followed.)

Synonyms

• Quy tắc: rule.
• Lệ thường: usual practice, norm.
• Thông lệ: common practice, convention.

Notes on Usage

• The word "định lệ" is considered somewhat formal and is not extremely common in everyday modern spoken Vietnamese. It often carries a sense of formality and tradition.
• It is important to distinguish "định lệ" (fixed convention) from "định lí" (theorem in mathematics or science). They are homophones but have completely different meanings.

1. Fixed convention