props

American

[props] / prɒps /

noun

(usually used with a singular verb)

proper or due respect or recognition; credit.

I give him props for putting up with annoying customers.

props British

/ prɒps /

plural noun

slang proper respect

props to my dad

"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

Etymology

Origin of props

1990–95; Americanism; shortening of earlier propers (in the same sense), from proper , adjective

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.

The vessel, which is the only full-scale replica in the world, took two years to build and will be filled with replica props from Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic film.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Kidman’s props here are wire-rimmed glasses, to make her look like a doctor, and cigarettes, to emphasize inner turmoil, as we don’t see much outer.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

As Ms. Luiselli did, Mr. Enrigue deploys their adorable, wise-beyond-their-years children as props in the novel’s ethical agenda.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

At Pershing Square, for instance, sits her “Spike Cafe,” a mini tropical hideaway atop a parking garage sign where umbrellas and finger food props have become a prettier nesting spot for pigeons.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026

He collapses his magic props and stuffs them back into his blazer pockets.

From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023