proper
Americanadjective
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adapted or appropriate to the purpose or circumstances; fit; suitable.
the proper time to plant strawberries.
- Synonyms:
- suited
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conforming to established standards of behavior or manners; correct or decorous.
a very proper young man.
- Synonyms:
- appropriate, becoming, befitting, meet
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It was only proper to bring a gift.
- Synonyms:
- appropriate, becoming, befitting, meet
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strictly belonging or applicable.
the proper place for a stove.
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belonging or pertaining exclusively or distinctly to a person, thing, or group.
- Synonyms:
- peculiar, individual, special
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proper pronunciation.
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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?
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Grammar.
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(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.
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having the force or function of a proper name.
a proper adjective.
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normal or regular.
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belonging to oneself or itself; own.
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Chiefly British Informal. complete or thorough.
a proper thrashing.
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Ecclesiastical. used only on a particular day or festival.
the proper introit.
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Heraldry. (of a device) depicted in its natural colors.
an oak tree proper.
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Informal.
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excellent; capital; fine.
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good-looking or handsome.
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Mathematics. (of a subset of a set) not equal to the whole set.
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Archaic. of good character; respectable.
adverb
noun
adjective
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(usually prenominal) appropriate or suited for some purpose
in its proper place
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correct in behaviour or conduct
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excessively correct in conduct; vigorously moral
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up to a required or regular standard
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(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
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belonging to or characteristic of a person or thing
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informal (prenominal) (intensifier)
I felt a proper fool
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(usually postpositive) (of heraldic colours) considered correct for the natural colour of the object or emblem depicted
three martlets proper
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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
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archaic pleasant or good
adverb
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dialect (intensifier)
he's proper stupid
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informal thoroughly
to get drunk good and proper
noun
Usage
What is a basic definition of proper? Proper is an adjective that describes something that is appropriate, adheres to polite behavior, or is correct. Proper is also used in grammar to refer to nouns that identify specific people, places, or things. The word proper has additional senses as an adjective, adverb, and noun.Something is said to be proper if it is suitable or appropriate. For example, spring and summer are the proper seasons for growing plants because the weather is often warm and sunny, with frequent rain.
- Real-life examples: A parking lot is a proper place to leave your car. The South Pole is not the proper place to wear shorts. April Fool’s Day is a proper time to play jokes on people.
- Used in a sentence: She didn’t think the base of an active volcano was a proper spot for her summer home.
- Real-life examples: It is not considered proper to laugh during a funeral. A bathing suit is not the proper outfit to wear to a banquet. It is not proper (or smart) to insult royalty.
- Used in a sentence: Fast food was not the proper meal to serve at the fancy dinner party.
- Real-life examples: Eating with your mouth is not the proper way to eat something (and often leads to food falling out of your mouth). Your English teacher will insist that you use proper spelling and punctuation in your writing. In the United States, the right lane of the road is the proper one to drive on.
- Used in a sentence: I can never remember the proper spelling of the word “definitely.”
- Real-life examples: Albert Einstein is the proper noun referring to a famous German physicist. New York City is the proper noun referring to a city in the United States. Portuguese is the proper adjective that describes someone or something from the country of Portugal.
- Used in a sentence: Some proper nouns, like “iPad,” don’t follow typical capitalization rules.
Other Word Forms
- properly adverb
- properness noun
- unproper adjective
Etymology
Origin of proper
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English propre, from Old French, from Latin proprius “one's own”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Those that fall short will receive a red rating, indicating they’re not reliably blocking harmful content or lack proper rules.
From Los Angeles Times
The concerning number of inmate deaths also comes as the Sheriff’s Department faces questions about whether inmates are receiving timely and proper care.
From Los Angeles Times
For weeks it has been a case of when, not if, Thomas Frank went, despite the club's ownership and leadership team being determined to give Frank a proper go at turning things round.
From BBC
While Malik welcomes the top court's observations and directions, she says that along with sprucing up laws, there's an urgent need to ensure their proper implementation.
From BBC
But then, Ms. Serpell would argue that such a roster is merely this author’s proper company.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
