impropriety

[ im-pruh-prahy-i-tee ]

noun

, plural im·pro·pri·e·ties

1. the quality or condition of being improper; incorrectness.
2. inappropriateness; unsuitableness.
3. unseemliness; indecorousness.
4. an erroneous or unsuitable expression, act, etc.
5. an improper use of a word or phrase.

impropriety

/ ˌɪmprəˈpraɪɪtɪ /

noun

1. lack of propriety; indecency; indecorum
2. an improper act or use
3. the state of being improper

Word History and Origins

Origin of impropriety¹

From the Late Latin word improprietās, dating back to 1605–15. See im- ², propriety

Example Sentences

Prospect has defended its quality of care and denied any improprieties.

From ProPublica

Aides to Feinstein and Loeffler previously acknowledged that the senators had been in contact with federal law enforcement and denied any impropriety.

From Washington Post

His disappearance is reminiscent of past instances in which Beijing has detained business executives without warning for what it sees as impropriety.

From Fortune

More recently, increased scrutiny over its business practices has led government regulators to crack down on perceived improprieties and some users have shown a slight sway towards a more privacy-oriented search experience.

From Search Engine Land

We’ve been over this to some extent before, evaluating the arguments about alleged improprieties, claims for which there’s no credible evidence.

From Washington Post

In these two cases, something other than ideology was, at least ostensibly, at stake—qualifications or some kind of impropriety.

From The Daily Beast

At some funds, the mere suggestion of impropriety can prove fatal, as investors flee.

From The Daily Beast

John Barry on the lonely life of the general—and the early hints of impropriety.

From The Daily Beast

So far Mitt Romney has run a careful, disciplined campaign that has avoided the slightest whiff of impropriety.

From The Daily Beast

Although he denied any sexual impropriety, he admitted giving money to White without the knowledge of his wife.

From The Daily Beast

A gentleman of the bar remarked that he could see no impropriety in a man and his wife a-door-ing each other.

From Project Gutenberg

The common experience is that a charge of sexual impropriety comes from information supplied by the female.

From Project Gutenberg

Sensible at this point of the extreme impropriety of my presence, I rose, with an apology, to leave.

From Project Gutenberg

But we could not without impropriety call either of these assertions an induction from facts respecting the earth.

From Project Gutenberg

This the old King had sternly refused; pointing out its impropriety from both a political and a family aspect.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• indecency