noun
protocol
PROH-tuh-kol
noun
1
The official rules of correct conduct in formal or diplomatic situations.
"Breaking with protocol, the ambassador spoke without notes."
2
A set of rules governing how data is exchanged, especially over a computer network.
"The devices communicate using a secure protocol."
"HTTP is the protocol web browsers use to load pages."
3
A formal plan for how an experiment, treatment, or procedure should be carried out.
"Doctors followed the hospital's emergency protocol."
How to Use Protocol
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA set of official rules or an agreed procedure — used for diplomacy, computer networks, science, and medicine alike.
Common pairings
follow protocol
network protocol
safety protocol
Word Forms
protocoled past tense, protocolled past tense, protocols plural, protocols singular
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Breaking with _____, the ambassador spoke without notes.
Etymology
From Byzantine Greek prōtókollon, "first sheet glued to a manuscript," from prôtos ("first") plus kólla ("glue") — originally the cover page of an official document.