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Synonyms

protocol

American  
[proh-tuh-kawl, -kol, -kohl] / ˈproʊ təˌkɔl, -ˌkɒl, -ˌkoʊl /

noun

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

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

  3. a supplementary international agreement.

  4. an agreement between states.

  5. an annex to a treaty giving data relating to it.

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

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

  8. 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)

  1. to draft or issue a protocol.

protocol British  
/ ˈprəʊtəˌkɒl /

noun

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

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

    1. a record of data or observations on a particular experiment or proceeding

    2. an annexe appended to a treaty to deal with subsidiary matters or to render the treaty more lucid

    3. a formal international agreement or understanding on some matter

  3. an amendment to a treaty or convention

  4. In full: protocol statementphilosophy a statement that is immediately verifiable by experience See logical positivism

  5. 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

protocol Scientific  
/ prōtə-kôl′,-kōl′ /
  1. The plan for a course of medical treatment or for a scientific experiment.

  2. 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.

"We found strong evidence that the protocols typically used in growth studies may need to be revised."

From Science Daily

The airport has detailed protocols for how to operate during conflicts.

From The Wall Street Journal

Solomon said OpenAI also pledged to provide a report outlining the new protocols it is developing to identify high-risk offenders and repeat policy violators.

From The Wall Street Journal

There is no specified treatment protocol or antiviral medication for HMPV.

From Los Angeles Times

Amazon, Google, Snap and Nvidia are among the firms to have implemented emergency protocols as the safety of thousands of their workers across the region is brought into sharp focus.

From BBC