protocol
noun
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Protocol and Politics
In Late Greek, the word prōtokollon referred to the first sheet of a papyrus roll bearing the date of its manufacture. In some instances, it consisted of a flyleaf that was glued to the outside of a manuscript's case and provided a description of its contents. Coming from the Greek prefix prōto- ("first") and the noun kolla ("glue"), prōtokollon gave us our word protocol. In its earliest uses in the 15th century, the word referred to a prologue or preface and also to a record of a document or transaction. In the late 19th century, it began to be used in reference to the etiquette observed by the Head of State of France in ceremonies and relations with other dignitaries. This sense has since extended in meaning to cover any code of proper conduct.
Examples of protocol in a Sentence
Stanley Fish, Harper's, December 2005
Purcell even flouted the timeless protocol of pretending to admire the work of his fellow editors.
—Tobias Wolff, Old School, 2003
Today, thanks to the civil-rights movement, white guilt is propriety—an utterly invisible code that defines decency in our culture with thousands of little protocols we no longer even think about.
—Shelby Steele, Harper's, November 2002
The soldier's actions constitute a breach of military protocol.
They did not follow the proper diplomatic protocols.
What is the proper protocol for declining a job offer?
the Geneva Protocol of 1925
CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024
Opt for solutions with robust security protocols, and maintain control over sensitive info.
—Lisa Hale, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Our cloud-native SaaS solutions are designed with advanced security protocols to protect against unauthorized access and data breaches.
—Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 19 Nov. 2024
In keeping with Ukrainian military protocol, only his first name was shared.
—Laura King, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Protocol.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/protocol. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
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protocol
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