proper

[ prop-er ]

/ ˈprɒp ər /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR proper ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

adapted or appropriate to the purpose or circumstances; fit; suitable: the proper time to plant strawberries.

conforming to established standards of behavior or manners; correct or decorous: a very proper young man.

fitting; right: It was only proper to bring a gift.

strictly belonging or applicable: the proper place for a stove.

belonging or pertaining exclusively or distinctly to a person, thing, or group.

strict; accurate.

in the strict sense of the word (usually used postpositively): Shellfish do not belong to the fishes proper. Is the school within Boston proper or in the suburbs?

Grammar.

(of a name, noun, or adjective) designating a particular person or thing and written in English with an initial capital letter, as Joan, Chicago, Monday, American.
having the force or function of a proper name: a proper adjective.

normal or regular.

belonging to oneself or itself; own.

Chiefly British Informal. complete or thorough: a proper thrashing.

Ecclesiastical. used only on a particular day or festival: the proper introit.

Heraldry. (of a device) depicted in its natural colors: an oak tree proper.

Informal.

excellent; capital; fine.
good-looking or handsome.

Mathematics. (of a subset of a set) not equal to the whole set.

Archaic. of good character; respectable.

adverb

Informal. thoroughly; completely.

noun

Ecclesiastical. a special office or special parts of an office appointed for a particular day or time.

Origin of proper

1250–1300; Middle English propre < Old French < Latin proprius one's own

SYNONYMS FOR proper

1 suited.

2, 3 meet, befitting, becoming, decent, polite.

5 special, individual, peculiar.

6 precise, exact, just, formal.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR proper ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM proper

prop·er·ly, adverb prop·er·ness, noun un·prop·er, adjective un·prop·er·ly, adverb

Words nearby proper

propension, propensity, propenyl, propenyl group, propepsin, proper, proper adjective, proper fasciculus, proper fraction, proper function, proper motion

Example sentences from the Web for properness

His properness qualifies him, and of that a good leg; for his head he has little use but to keep it bare.

Microcosmography |John Earle

British Dictionary definitions for properness

proper

/ (ˈprɒpə) /

adjective

(usually prenominal) appropriate or suited for some purpose in its proper place

correct in behaviour or conduct

excessively correct in conduct; vigorously moral

up to a required or regular standard

(immediately postpositive) (of an object, quality, etc) referred to or named specifically so as to exclude anything not directly connected with it his claim is connected with the deed proper

(postpositive foll by to) belonging to or characteristic of a person or thing

(prenominal) British informal (intensifier) I felt a proper fool

(usually postpositive) (of heraldic colours) considered correct for the natural colour of the object or emblem depicted three martlets proper

maths logic (of a relation) distinguished from a weaker relation by excluding the case where the relata are identical. For example, every set is a subset of itself, but a proper subset must exclude at least one member of the containing set See also strict (def. 6)

archaic pleasant or good

adverb

British dialect (intensifier) he's proper stupid

good and proper informal thoroughly to get drunk good and proper

noun

the parts of the Mass that vary according to the particular day or feast on which the Mass is celebrated Compare ordinary (def. 10)

Derived forms of proper

properly, adverb properness, noun

Word Origin for proper

C13: via Old French from Latin prōprius special

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

proper

adjective

adverb

noun

Origin of proper

SYNONYMS FOR proper

OTHER WORDS FROM proper

Words nearby proper

Example sentences from the Web for properness

British Dictionary definitions for properness

adjective

adverb

noun

Derived forms of proper

Word Origin for proper

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Learning

proper

adjective

adverb

noun

Origin of proper

SYNONYMS FOR proper

OTHER WORDS FROM proper

Words nearby proper

Words related to properness

Example sentences from the Web for properness

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []) .push({}); British Dictionary definitions for properness

adjective

adverb

noun

Derived forms of proper

Word Origin for proper

British Dictionary definitions for properness