Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for best practice. Search instead for best practices.

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.


best practice British  

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of best practice

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

NatureScot and Forestry and Land Scotland have best practice advice on controlling the pigs.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 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

Mr Robinson also told the court he had no memory of the crash but conceded that he "must have intentionally disconnected" Wilson's sling as it was best practice in an emergency to release the collector.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

“Receiving all eligible vaccines at once is considered best practice, as it helps avoid missed opportunities due to scheduling challenges,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 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