etiquette Meaning & Definition
What Does Etiquette Mean?
As a noun, etiquette means The manners or decent behaviour to be observed in social or professional life; conventional decorum; the ceremonial code of polite society. It is also used to mean The customary behavior of members of a profession, business, law, or sports team towards each other.
Etiquette: Key Facts
| Part of speech | noun |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛt.ɪˌkɛt/ |
| Syllables | 3 |
| Plural | etiquettes |
Etiquette Definition (Noun)
- The manners or decent behaviour to be observed in social or professional life; conventional decorum; the ceremonial code of polite society.
- The customary behavior of members of a profession, business, law, or sports team towards each other.
- A label used to indicate that a letter is to be sent by airmail.
Noun
- The forms required by a good upbringing, or prescribed by authority, to be observed in social or official life; observance of the proprieties of rank and occasion; conventional decorum; ceremonial code of polite society.
Synonyms of Etiquette
The source does not list synonyms for this entry.
Etiquette synonyms and antonyms →Word Forms & Grammar
etiquette (countable and uncountable, plural etiquettes)
Words That Rhyme With Etiquette
Origin of Etiquette
Origin 1: 1740, from French étiquette (“property, a little piece of paper, or a mark or title, affixed to a bag or bundle, expressing its contents, a label, ticket”), from Middle French estiquette (“ticket, memorandum”), from the Old French verb estechier, estichier, estequier (“to attach, stick”), (compare Picard estiquier (“to stick, pierce”)), from Frankish *stekan, *stikkjan (“to stick, pierce, sting”), from Proto-Germanic *stikaną, *stikōną, *staikijaną (“to be sharp, pierce, prick”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to be sharp, to stab”).
Origin 2: Akin to Old High German stehhan (“to stick, attach, nail”) (German stechen (“to stick”)), Old English stician (“to pierce, stab, be fastened”).
Origin 3: The French Court of Louis XIV at Versailles used étiquettes (literally “little cards”) to remind courtiers to keep off of the grass and similar rules. More at stick (verb) and stitch. Doublet of ticket.
How to Pronounce Etiquette
The standard pronunciation of etiquette is /ˈɛt.ɪˌkɛt/, spoken in 3 syllables, with the main stress on the first syllable (ɛt).