protocol.

1. The prescribed rules or conventions governing formal behavior and procedure.

2. A defined set of rules specifying how systems exchange and interpret information.

3. A documented plan or set of procedures for an investigation, treatment, experiment, or other organized activity.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• diplomatic protocol
• observe protocol
• a breach of protocol

On the page

Protocol required him to wait until the chair acknowledged the message.

She broke diplomatic protocol by addressing the interpreter instead of the envoy.

Usage notes

Primary category: sci-fi. Forms: Singular protocol; plural protocols. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.