protocol
Americannoun
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the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette.
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an original draft, minute, or record from which a document, especially a treaty, is prepared.
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a supplementary international agreement.
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an agreement between states.
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an annex to a treaty giving data relating to it.
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Medicine/Medical. the plan for carrying out a scientific study or a patient's treatment regimen.
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Computers. a set of rules governing the format of messages that are exchanged between computers.
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Also called protocol statement,. Also called protocol proposition. Also called protocol sentence,. Philosophy. a statement reporting an observation or experience in the most fundamental terms without interpretation: sometimes taken as the basis of empirical verification, as of scientific laws.
verb (used without object)
noun
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the formal etiquette and code of behaviour, precedence, and procedure for state and diplomatic ceremonies
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a memorandum or record of an agreement, esp one reached in international negotiations, a meeting, etc
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a record of data or observations on a particular experiment or proceeding
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an annexe appended to a treaty to deal with subsidiary matters or to render the treaty more lucid
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a formal international agreement or understanding on some matter
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an amendment to a treaty or convention
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In full: protocol statement. philosophy a statement that is immediately verifiable by experience See logical positivism
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computing the set form in which data must be presented for handling by a particular computer configuration, esp in the transmission of information between different computer systems
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The plan for a course of medical treatment or for a scientific experiment.
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A set of standardized procedures for transmitting or storing data, especially those used in regulating data transmission between computers or peripherals.
Usage
What does protocol mean? Protocol generally means an official set of procedures for what actions to take in a certain situation.Protocol has many specific uses, but most of them deal with such a plan or the documents that spell out such a plan or agreement. Protocol is used in specific ways in the contexts of diplomacy, medicine, and computing, but it’s also often used in a general way in situations that require people to follow official procedures.Example: His failure to follow the safety procedures was a serious breach of protocol.
Other Word Forms
- protocolar adjective
- protocolary adjective
- protocolic adjective
Etymology
Origin of protocol
First recorded in 1535–45; earlier protocoll, from Medieval Latin prōtocollum, from Late Greek prōtókollon originally, “a leaf or tag attached to a rolled papyrus manuscript and containing notes as to contents.” See proto-, colloid
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.
He said he also wants the department to create clearer protocols for grieving families to report the planning of a memorial event or funeral to avoid a similar situation.
From Los Angeles Times
She argued the anaesthesiologist had been "criminally negligent" and had not followed proper medical protocol.
From Barron's
Hunter wanted to lead with softness on screen, even though she bumped up against some of the militaristic protocol of the Federation after she was told Nahla couldn’t have glasses of wine in her office.
From Los Angeles Times
The new testing initiative follows reporting by The Times that workers repeatedly violated cleanup protocols, possibly leaving fire contaminants behind or moving them into unwanted areas, according to federal reports.
From Los Angeles Times
"A new Heat Rule is being implemented across ATP events, with clear protocols to suspend or adjust play in extreme conditions," the ATP said in its statement.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
