properly
Americanadverb
-
in a way that is appropriate to the purpose or circumstances; suitably.
Students should ensure that a current valid parking permit is properly displayed on their vehicle.
-
correctly.
His recent statement gave the wrong impression and does not properly reflect where he stands on the issue.
-
in a way that conforms to established standards of behavior or manners.
They usually dress very properly, but sometimes a bit daringly, hoping to start the latest new trend.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of properly
Vocabulary lists containing properly
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.
“But the ones that were built properly will likely be able to withstand a lot of the drawdown.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
If something is nonaligned it is a control failure that might properly be subject to research in the Office of Deception Studies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
"We recognise there was a conflict of interest that wasn't managed properly," he says.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Kevin can be blunt and forthright, but dressing rooms need that in order to function properly.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
A properly functioning market would assimilate new information into the prices of securities; this multi-trillion-dollar market in subprime mortgage risk never budged.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
