Meaning & use

do's and don'ts

phrase·Everyday

The essential rules of proper or acceptable behavior in a particular situation or activity.

See it in a sentence

The orientation packet listed the do's and don'ts of using the shared kitchen.

Every new employee learns the do's and don'ts of office etiquette in the first week.

A note on using this word

Written with apostrophes in both words; some style guides prefer 'dos and don'ts' without the apostrophe in 'dos'.

Words with a similar meaning

rulesguidelines

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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