protocol
Say it: PROH-tuh-kol /ˈprəʊtəkɒl/ · noun
What “protocol” means
Agreed rules for how to communicate or act.
More precisely: An agreed set of rules for how systems, or people, communicate or act.
Example: “Our team protocol: urgent issues by phone, everything else in the shared channel.”
When to use it
In technical or formal workplace discussion, when people or systems need an agreed way to exchange information or act.
Similar words
procedure, convention, standard
Where it comes from
From Greek prōtokollon, 'first page', a sheet glued to the front of a manuscript.
Quick check
Two devices agree how to begin a connection, send messages and confirm receipt. What is their shared set of rules?
a platform or a protocol?
Show the answer
a protocol
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