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If you’re looking for a polite topic of conversation to raise at your next gathering of word lovers, we’ve got just the ticket. The French word étiquette means “ticket”; its direct French ancestor also referred to a label attached to something for description or identification. Spaniards of the 16th-century adopted the French word (altering it to etiqueta), and used it to refer to the written protocols describing the behavior demanded of those who appeared at court. Eventually, etiqueta came to be applied to the court ceremonies themselves as well as to the documents which outlined their requirements. Word of this linguistic development got back to the French, who then expanded their word’s meaning to include “proper court behavior” along with its “label” sense. By the middle of the 18th century English speakers had taken on etiquette as their own, applying it to the rules that indicate the proper and polite way to behave, whether in the presence or royalty or not.
Examples of etiquette in a Sentence
Shirin Ali, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Figuring out how to show up well in in-person meetings, especially as a new hire and even more so as a junior employee, can be tough, says Daniel Post Senning, etiquette expert with the Emily Post Institute.
—Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 3 June 2025
According to Thomas Westenholz, a couples therapist and host of the Couples in Focus podcast, modern dating etiquette should focus on mutual respect.
—Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025
The politics of seat swapping is a hot-button topic in air travel, but this passenger followed the advice often offered by travel experts for mid-air etiquette.
—Rachel Flynn, People.com, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for etiquette
Cite this Entry
“Etiquette.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/etiquette. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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