protocol

[ proh-tuh-kawl, -kol, -kohl ]

/ ˈproʊ təˌkɔl, -ˌkɒl, -ˌkoʊl /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR protocol ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the customs and regulations dealing with diplomatic formality, precedence, and etiquette.

an original draft, minute, or record from which a document, especially a treaty, is prepared.

a supplementary international agreement.

an agreement between states.

an annex to a treaty giving data relating to it.

Medicine/Medical. the plan for carrying out a scientific study or a patient's treatment regimen.

Computers. a set of rules governing the format of messages that are exchanged between computers.

Also called protocol statement, protocol sentence, protocol proposition. 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)

to draft or issue a protocol.

Origin of protocol

1535–45; earlier protocoll < Medieval Latin prōtocollum < Late Greek prōtókollon orig., a leaf or tag attached to a rolled papyrus manuscript and containing notes as to contents. See proto-, colloid

historical usage of protocol

Protocol ultimately comes from Late Greek prōtókollon, a compound noun meaning “the first kóllēma (sheet) on a papyrus roll,” formed from prōto-, a combining form of prôtos “first” (and completely naturalized in English) and the noun kóllēma “something bound or glued together” (the plural kollēmata means “sheets of papyrus glued together to form a roll,” usually 20 sheets, averaging 20–26 feet in length). Prōtókollon is first recorded in the Novels, one of the four divisions of the Corpus Juris Civilis, compiled by order of the emperor Justinian (a.d. 483–565), the last native Latin-speaking emperor. A prōtókollon protected the outside of a rolled-up scroll (and therefore was sometimes reinforced with parchment). The protocol was the equivalent of the modern copyright page and table of contents, bearing official authentication, date of manufacture, author, and contents.
In Medieval Latin prōtocollum acquired the meaning “draft (of a document), minutes (of a meeting), public register, a document bearing an official seal.” By the middle of the 19th century, French developed the sense “official norms of behavior or etiquette to be maintained between states and their ministers; the accepted and customary codes of behavior in polite society.” In late 19th-century Russia, protocol ( protokól ) meant “an official police record of a case or incident,” its meaning in the infamous “Protocols [ protokóly ] of the Elders of Zion,” first published in Russia in 1903.

OTHER WORDS FROM protocol

pro·to·col·ar

[proh-tuh-kol-er] /ˌproʊ təˈkɒl ər/, pro·to·col·a·ry, pro·to·col·ic, adjective

Words nearby protocol

proto-oncogene, protoactinium, protoavis, protocal, protochordate, protocol, protocols, protocontinent, protoctist, protoctista, protodeacon

VOCAB BUILDER

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.

Where does protocol come from?

The first records of protocol come from the 1500s. It’s derived from the Greek prōtókollon, which referred to a tag attached to a rolled papyrus manuscript that contained notes about its contents.

In the context of diplomacy (the conducting of relations and negotiations between nations), protocol refers to the formal customs, regulations, and etiquette that have been established to carry out such interactions. More specifically, it can refer to an international agreement, the first draft of a treaty, or an addition to it.

In medicine, a protocol is a formal plan for treating a patient, especially in a specific circumstance. In computing, protocol refers to a set of rules for formatting messages.

In general, the word protocol is used to refer to an official plan or a set of guidelines to be followed in certain situations. Protocols are often used to ensure safety. For example, a company might have a safety protocol for handling hazardous materials.

In the Star Wars series, the character C-3PO is a protocol droid, meaning he’s responsible for assisting with things like etiquette and translation (he’s fond of pointing out that he’s fluent in millions of forms of communication).

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to protocol?

protocolar (adjective)
protocolary (adjective)
protocolic (adjective)

What are some synonyms for protocol?

What are some words that share a root or word element with protocol?

prototype

What are some words that often get used in discussing protocol?

How is protocol used in real life?

Protocol is most commonly used to refer to official rules and regulations that are formulated so they can be followed in a future situation.

Having different Indigenous nations meeting with one another, following protocol, that's the kind of diplomacy that matters here, it's awesome to see.

— âpihtawikosisân (@apihtawikosisan) February 21, 2020

Our Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) has been activated due to temperatures dropping later today.

If you know anyone who finds themselves homeless tonight please pass on the details below.#SWEP pic.twitter.com/glPE9kXirL

— Doncaster Council (@MyDoncaster) March 20, 2020

As I start voting for Oscars, I'm Bummed (hope not against protocol to say this) I don't have opportunity to vote for @jes_chastain

— Rod Lurie (@RodLurie) February 11, 2015

Try using protocol!

Which of the following words is LEAST likely to describe a protocol?

A. official
B. formal
C. willy-nilly
D. planned

Example sentences from the Web for protocol

The new information consisted of Internet protocol addresses that Comey said are “exclusively used” by North Korea.

Was Sony Hit With a Second Hack? |Shane Harris |January 8, 2015 |DAILY BEAST
There were not just one, not two but THREE breaches of protocol last night.

LeBron's Touchy Feely Protocol Breach |Tom Sykes |December 9, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
What should the protocol be for engaging people on the street who offer unsolicited “compliments?”

Street Harassment Shouldn’t Be a Crime |Lizzie Crocker |October 29, 2014 |DAILY BEAST
Personal protective gear is only as effective as the protocol for using it.

Can You Treat Ebola—And Stay Safe? |Abby Haglage, Kent Sepkowitz |October 12, 2014 |DAILY BEAST

Ford has generally held meetings in his suite, however, in what's called the "protocol lounge" just outside his private office.

Toronto Mayor: I Was Drunk When I Did Crack |Hamutal Dotan |November 6, 2013 |DAILY BEAST
Before either the new London protocol or the Alexandria convention could be carried into effect, further differences had arisen.

The Political History of England - Vol XI |George Brodrick
According to the protocol of an interview with the ambassador (in Murdin, 579) there can be no doubt of the reality of the plot.

A History of England Principally in the Seventeenth Century, Volume I (of 6) |Leopold von Ranke
A settlement of this troublesome case was reached by the signature of a protocol on September 18, 1909.

State of the Union Addresses of William H. Taft |William H. Taft
The Plenipotentiaries then signed the protocol of the conferences to which I have above alluded.

Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte, Complete |Louis Antoine Fauvelet de Bourrienne
Though applied to Greece in the Protocol of February 1830, it had had to wait nearly fifty years for universal acceptance.

Notes on the Diplomatic History of the Jewish Question |Lucien Wolf

British Dictionary definitions for protocol

protocol

/ (ˈprəʊtəˌkɒl) /

noun

the formal etiquette and code of behaviour, precedence, and procedure for state and diplomatic ceremonies

a memorandum or record of an agreement, esp one reached in international negotiations, a meeting, etc

(chiefly US)

a record of data or observations on a particular experiment or proceeding
an annexe appended to a treaty to deal with subsidiary matters or to render the treaty more lucid
a formal international agreement or understanding on some matter

an amendment to a treaty or convention

philosophy a statement that is immediately verifiable by experience In full: protocol statement See logical positivism

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

Word Origin for protocol

C16: from Medieval Latin prōtocollum, from Late Greek prōtokollon sheet glued to the front of a manuscript, from proto- + kolla glue

Medical definitions for protocol

protocol

[ prō′tə-kôl′, -kōl′ ]

n.

The plan for a course of medical treatment or for a scientific experiment.

Scientific definitions for protocol

protocol

[ prō′tə-kôl′, -kōl′ ]

The plan for a course of medical treatment or for a scientific experiment.

A set of standardized procedures for transmitting or storing data, especially those used in regulating data transmission between computers or peripherals.

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

protocol