best practice

American  

noun

Chiefly Business.

1. Often best practices a procedure or set of procedures that is preferred or considered standard within an organization, industry, etc..

   The company adopted best practice in employee recruitment.

   At the meeting we reviewed best practices for communicating with clients.

   Their methodology was identified as a best practice.

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best practice British  

noun

1. the recognized methods of correctly running businesses or providing services

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Etymology

Origin of best practice

First recorded in 1980–85; derived from an earlier (1905) sense “the best method, procedure, etc.”

Example Sentences

Abby and Richard Paull, who run Treloy Touring Park, said the proposals would reduce opportunities for guests to sleep and did "not reflect best practice or national guidance for festivals of this scale".

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

The best practice is to add between 5% and 10% to your budget as a buffer to protect against price spikes and emergency expenses.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025

“It became unpopular after the Great Recession, especially, and best practice dictated layoff plans would occur at times other than the holidays.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2025

"As the commissioner states, my suitability for the role has never been in question, and at no point was I aware of any deviation from best practice," he added.

From BBC • Nov. 13, 2025

The best practice for transposing is to transpose a piece you know well into a new key.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones