Origin: French suffix -ette
Etiquette has 2 different meanings across 1 category:
rules governing socially acceptable behavior
"Learning proper table etiquette helps guests show respect to their hosts during a formal dinner."
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.
"The diplomat mastered the intricate etiquette of high court before his audience with the monarch."
In plain English: Etiquette is the set of rules for polite behavior that people follow to show respect and get along well with others.
"Good table etiquette is important at formal dinners."
Usage: Etiquette refers specifically to the customary code of polite behavior expected in specific social situations. Use this word when describing unwritten rules about manners rather than formal laws or strict regulations.
The word "etiquette" entered English in 1740 from the French term for a small paper label or ticket attached to a bundle. This original meaning of identifying contents eventually shifted to describe the formal rules governing polite behavior at social gatherings.