improper
[im-prop-er]
- not proper; not strictly belonging, applicable, correct, etc.; erroneous: He drew improper conclusions from the scant evidence.
- not in accordance with propriety of behavior, manners, etc.: improper conduct at a funeral.
- unsuitable or inappropriate, as for the purpose or occasion: improper attire for a formal dance.
- abnormal or irregular: improper functioning of the speech mechanism.
Show More
Origin of improper
Synonyms
See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com1–3. inapplicable, unsuited, unfit. 2. indecorous. 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.
Antonyms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Related Words
incorrectunwarrantedinadmissibleinaccurateirregularinappropriatewrongerroneousawkwardill-advisedimprudentfalseuntowardunjustindecentwrongfulunseemlyunethicalabnormaldiscordantExamples from the Web for improper
Contemporary Examples
Farrell issued a ticket to an 18-year-old shipyard worker for speeding and an improper exhaust mechanism, according to the TP.
And if any police were warning bars against serving the Santas, “that would be improper behavior by a government official.”
I feel sorry because (patients) got the surgery with improper devices, so they might suffer from it.
It could be that those downstream abnormalities in cell development were due to improper signaling from the cerebellum.
Improper burial, Dove says, could mean that harmful bacteria are leeching into the waterways.
Historical Examples
For my own part, I thought pride in his case an improper subject for raillery.
Clarissa, Volume 1 (of 9)Samuel Richardson
It is also, in the present acceptation of the word, improper.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. IIFrancis Augustus Cox
Before we quit this island, it will not, perhaps, be improper to mention some things about it.
The History of LouisianaLe Page Du Pratz
I am but the son of poor parents, and may have been tempted to some things that are improper.
Homeward BoundJames Fenimore Cooper
The improper connections were soon removed and others substituted.
Tom Swift and his Electric RunaboutVictor Appleton
improper
- lacking propriety; not seemly or fitting
- unsuitable for a certain use or occasion; inappropriatean improper use for a tool
- irregular or abnormal
Show More
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
Word Origin and History for improper
adj.
mid-15c., "not true," from French impropre (14c.), from Latin improprius, from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + proprius (see proper). Meaning "not suited, unfit" is from 1560s; that of "not in accordance with good manners, modesty, decency" is from 1739. Related: Improperly (late 14c.).
Show More
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper