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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
Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Nov. 2025
The group has a contract with Thank You Darlin’ Foundation, a nonprofit that empowers youth through literacy and arts, to provide etiquette and poetry classes that the grant can now pay for.
—Kamal Morgan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Nov. 2025
Good manners and generous tipping should be standard practice at a restaurant any night of the week, but diners need to be extra mindful of their etiquette and gratitude on Thanksgiving.
—Andrea Strong, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Nov. 2025
Post says these days, most of the questions the institute gets about Friendsgiving revolve around the etiquette of potlucks.
—Rachel Treisman, NPR, 19 Nov. 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 29 Nov. 2025.
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