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

As well as sharing profits, domestic firms benefited from their overseas partners' shared technology and best practice.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 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

“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

"It will draw together existing guidance and recent case law, as well as best practice from other jurisdictions, to assist tribunals in reaching consistent and well-reasoned decisions," he said.

From BBC • Sep. 18, 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