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.
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Origin of improper
Synonyms
See more synonyms for improper 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
1, 3. fitting, suitable. 2. proper.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for improperly
Contemporary Examples
Down syndrome and other chromosomal rearrangements are often accompanied by improperly functioning organs and immune systems.
They call for Christians to reject the discovery because the “announcement may be improperly understood and reported.”
One of the best ways to stem this flow of guns is to identify which gun dealers are improperly selling to criminals.
It was improperly disarmed, resulting in the death of an NYPD officer and 30 injuries.
Of course, that might not be the case for actual homeowners who may have been improperly foreclosed on.
Banks Settle Mortgage Investigations with Nearly $20 Billion in PaymentsMatthew Zeitlin
January 7, 2013
Historical Examples
"By their improperly intelligent expression," returned Phil.
MalboneThomas Wentworth Higginson
The first of these words is often improperly used for the second.
The VerbalistThomas Embly Osmun, (AKA Alfred Ayres)
That is all-powerful, but I will not employ it unseasonably or improperly.
Memoirs of the Comtesse du BarryEtienne Leon Lamothe-Langon
There is likewise a small-sized partridge, which is improperly called the quail.
The Western WorldW.H.G. Kingston
I think Renée behaved most improperly this evening; that's all.
Rene MauperinEdmond de Goncourt and Jules de Goncourt
improper
- lacking propriety; not seemly or fitting
- unsuitable for a certain use or occasion; inappropriatean improper use for a tool
- irregular or abnormal
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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 improperly
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.).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper