What does etiquette mean?
Etiquette refers to the established code of polite behaviour that governs how people are expected to act in social situations, whether at the dinner table, in the workplace, or within a specific profession or community. It encompasses conventions such as greeting others appropriately, observing turn-taking in conversation, dressing suitably for occasions, and showing consideration for those around you. The word carries a slightly formal tone and is often invoked when someone has breached an accepted custom, as in 'a serious lapse of etiquette'. Unlike morality, which addresses questions of right and wrong, etiquette deals with convention and courtesy — the agreed-upon rituals that make social interaction smooth and comfortable. Rules of etiquette vary considerably across cultures and eras, so what counts as good manners in one country may seem odd in another. Related terms such as decorum, protocol, and propriety overlap with it, each emphasising a different facet of socially correct conduct.
nounThe customary code of polite behaviour in society or among members of a particular profession or group.
- The customary code of polite behaviour in society at large.
- The set of conventional rules governing behaviour within a particular profession, activity, or group.
"Good etiquette dictates that you reply to a dinner invitation promptly."
"According to wedding etiquette, guests should never wear white to the ceremony."
"He was unfamiliar with the unwritten etiquette of online forums and quickly offended several regulars."
Rarely used; etiquette is almost always treated as uncountable, though a plural occasionally appears when contrasting the differing codes of distinct cultures or settings.
"The etiquettes of Victorian drawing rooms differ sharply from those of a modern workplace."
The word 'etiquette' literally comes from the French for a little ticket — the written cards at Versailles telling courtiers where to stand and what to do.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of etiquette
Etiquette entered English in the mid-eighteenth century from French étiquette, which originally meant 'label' or 'ticket' — a small written card. At the French royal court, such tickets listed the ceremonial rules courtiers were required to observe, and the word gradually came to mean prescribed social conduct itself. The French term derives from the Old French estiquette, related to estiquer ('to stick'), ultimately of Germanic origin via Vulgar Latin *sticcāre, making it a distant cousin of English 'stick' and 'ticket'.
How etiquette is actually used
Etiquette is an uncountable noun in most contexts, though it can take an indefinite article in phrases like 'a breach of etiquette'. It carries a somewhat formal register and often connotes traditional or prescribed rules rather than genuine kindness; 'netiquette' is a modern blend used for online conduct.
Easily confused with etiquette
Ethics concerns moral principles of right and wrong, while etiquette concerns conventional rules of polite social behaviour.