improper

2. Improper, indecent, unbecoming, unseemly are applied to that which is unfitting or not in accordance with propriety. Improper has a wide range, being applied to whatever is not suitable or fitting, and often specifically to what does not conform to the standards of conventional morality: improper diet; improper behavior in church; improper language. Indecent, a strong word, is applied to what is offensively contrary to standards of propriety and especially of modesty: indecent behavior, literature. Unbecoming is applied to what is especially unfitting in the person concerned: conduct unbecoming a minister. Unseemly is applied to whatever is unfitting or improper under the circumstances: unseemly mirth.

OTHER WORDS FROM improper

im·prop·er·ly, adverbim·prop·er·ness, noun

Words nearby improper

imprisonment, improbability, improbable, improbity, impromptu, improper, improper fraction, Improperia, improper integral, impropriate, impropriety

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT IMPROPER

What does improper mean?

Improper describes something considered unsuitable or inappropriate for the purpose or occasion, as in A ballgown is improper dress for playing basketball.

Improper also describes something that isn’t appropriate for a specific scenario or circumstance, as in Shouting out the answers during a silent test is generally considered improper.

Improper can also describe something that is not correct, such as with an inaccurate conclusion or faulty language usage.

Finally, improper can be used to describe something as abnormal or irregular, particularly in reference to how something mechanical operates.

Example: We knew the test readouts were improper because the results were physically impossible.

Where does improper come from?

The first records of the term improper come from around 1530. It ultimately comes from the Latin improprius.

Proper and improper are often used to describe public behaviors, manners, dress, language, and more, judging them against an ideal, which is sometimes unrealistic in an effort to keep people from obtaining it. One example of this is setting as proper a hairstyle that is impossible for some people. Any deviation from this hairstyle would be considered improper.

In the past, the term proper was often associated with people of upper-class society with “good” character or that lived “respectable” lifestyles. Improper by extension was used to describe people who did not live high society lifestyles, and was often used as an insult to describe people who received a lower income. Improper is still used in this way in certain cases, such as fine dining, special event planning, and dress.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to improper?

improperly (adverb)
improperness (noun)

What are some synonyms for improper?

What are some words that share a root or word element with improper?

What are some words that often get used in discussing improper?

How is improper used in real life?

Generally, something that is improper is abnormal or irregular compared to what is expected in a given situation.

Just remind me again why 8 and 9 year olds have to be able to turn an improper fraction into a mixed number?!?!

— Dick and Dom (@dickndom) May 4, 2020

Yes, I will happily point out improper usage when someone is trying to question my intelligence. Because of the irony.

— J.A. Adande (@jadande) May 18, 2016

I realize that last tweet contained improper grammar. Its 2 am. Or, it's 2 A.M…. you guys it's late.

— Jeremy Jordan (@JeremyMJordan) May 4, 2016

Try using improper!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for improper?

A. irregular
B. inappropriate
C. incorrect
D. acceptable

How to use improper in a sentence

Nothing could be alleged as illegal or improper or unethical.
Jack Palladino, aggressive sleuth who worked for Bill Clinton campaign, dies at 76|Harrison Smith|February 2, 2021|Washington Post
McSweeney argues the action was improper because it amounts to “special legislation” — meaning a law targeting one specific case, which is unconstitutional, instead of setting out broad policy.
Residents ask high court to block removal of Richmond’s Robert E. Lee statue as Virginia prepares to act|Gregory S. Schneider|January 26, 2021|Washington Post
Later, he was busted from sergeant to private for “improper dancing” with the daughter of a Spanish instructor, according to author Jean Edward Smith in “Eisenhower in War and Peace” — although that speaks more to judgment than ability.
Not all presidents’ dance skills are created equal|Bonnie Berkowitz, Joanne Lee|January 21, 2021|Washington Post
Those familiar with the disciplinary system say data at the time showed that punishment for internal infractions — such as an improper log book or refusal to follow an order — had often been more severe than for misconduct against civilians.
Still Can’t Breathe|by Topher Sanders, ProPublica, and Yoav Gonen, THE CITY, video by Lucas Waldron, ProPublica|January 21, 2021|ProPublica

The group claims thousands of members who assert the right to defy government orders they deem improper.
Self-styled militia members planned on storming the U.S. Capitol days in advance of Jan. 6 attack, court documents say|Spencer Hsu, Tom Jackman, Devlin Barrett|January 20, 2021|Washington Post
Farrell issued a ticket to an 18-year-old shipyard worker for speeding and an improper exhaust mechanism, according to the TP.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
And if any police were warning bars against serving the Santas, “that would be improper behavior by a government official.”
Before the Bros, SantaCon Was as an Anti-Corporate Protest|David Freedlander|December 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I feel sorry because (patients) got the surgery with improper devices, so they might suffer from it.
Patients Screwed in Spine Surgery ‘Scam’|The Center for Investigative Reporting|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It could be that those downstream abnormalities in cell development were due to improper signaling from the cerebellum.
Early Brain Injury Might Be the Root of Autism|Russell Saunders|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Improper burial, Dove says, could mean that harmful bacteria are leeching into the waterways.
Aporkalypse Now: Pig-Killing Virus Could Mean the End of Bacon|Carrie Arnold|August 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yet the business may become a nuisance when conducted in some localities, or in an improper manner.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
Are we to abandon any one means of doing good, because the improper use of it would do injury?
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
I often heard Europeans remark that they considered the procession of the nuptial couch extremely improper.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
This improper use of a parent's home has also occurred in other districts.
Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents|Oswald Chettle Mazengarb et al.
What was a generation ago considered improper is now generally accepted as a subject for display.
Report of the Special Committee on Moral Delinquency in Children and Adolescents|Oswald Chettle Mazengarb et al.

British Dictionary definitions for improper

improper

/ (ɪmˈprɒpə) /

adjective

lacking propriety; not seemly or fitting

unsuitable for a certain use or occasion; inappropriatean improper use for a tool

irregular or abnormal

Derived forms of improper

improperly, adverbimproperness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

improper

OTHER WORDS FOR improper

OPPOSITES FOR improper

Origin of improper

synonym study for improper

OTHER WORDS FROM improper

Words nearby improper

MORE ABOUT IMPROPER

What does improper mean?

Where does improper come from?

Did you know … ?

How is improper used in real life?

Try using improper!

Words related to improper

How to use improper in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for improper

Derived forms of improper