etiquette

[et-i-kit, -ket]

noun

1. conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.

2. a prescribed or accepted code of usage in matters of ceremony, as at a court or in official or other formal observances.

3. the code of ethical behavior regarding professional practice or action among the members of a profession in their dealings with each other.

   medical etiquette.

etiquette

/ ˈɛtɪˌkɛt, ˌɛtɪˈkɛt /

noun

1. the customs or rules governing behaviour regarded as correct or acceptable in social or official life

2. a conventional but unwritten code of practice followed by members of any of certain professions or groups

   medical etiquette

Word History and Origins

Origin of etiquette¹

First recorded in 1730–40; from French étiquette, Middle French estiquette “ticket, label, memorandum,” derivative of estiqu(i)er “to attach, stick” from Germanic. See stick ², -ette

Word History and Origins

Origin of etiquette¹

C18: from French, from Old French estiquette label, from estiquier to attach; see _stick ²

Synonym Study

Etiquette, decorum, propriety imply observance of the formal requirements governing behavior in polite society. Etiquette refers to conventional forms and usages: the rules of etiquette. Decorum suggests dignity and a sense of what is becoming or appropriate for a person of good breeding: a fine sense of decorum. Propriety (usually plural) implies established conventions of morals and good taste: She never fails to observe the proprieties.

Example Sentences

Penelope had read all the etiquette books in the Swanburne library, but she could not recall a rule that applied specifically to this situation.

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Laura's students are never usually as young as one, but starting that young is something the etiquette expert says can have benefits.

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Email your pairing conundrums, etiquette queries and other pressing questions on bottles for the holiday table to [email protected].

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On top of that, the suggested tip amounts shown on now-ubiquitous “tip screens” can be 30% of the purchase price, or even more in some instances, said etiquette expert Nick Leighton.

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What’s the proper etiquette for how to manage finances together once I move in with my family?

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