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proper
[prop-er]
adjective
adapted or appropriate to the purpose or circumstances; fit; suitable.
the proper time to plant strawberries.
Synonyms:conforming to established standards of behavior or manners; correct or decorous.
a very proper young man.
Synonyms: , , ,It was only proper to bring a gift.
Synonyms: , , ,strictly belonging or applicable.
the proper place for a stove.
belonging or pertaining exclusively or distinctly to a person, thing, or group.
Synonyms: , ,proper pronunciation.
Synonyms: , , ,in the strict sense of the word (usually used postpositively).
Shellfish do not belong to the fishes proper. Is the school within Boston proper or in the suburbs?
Grammar.
(of a name, noun, or adjective) designating a particular person or thing and written in English with an initial capital letter, as Joan, Chicago, Monday, American.
having the force or function of a proper name.
a proper adjective.
normal or regular.
belonging to oneself or itself; own.
Chiefly British Informal.complete or thorough.
a proper thrashing.
Ecclesiastical.used only on a particular day or festival.
the proper introit.
Heraldry.(of a device) depicted in its natural colors.
an oak tree proper.
Informal.
excellent; capital; fine.
good-looking or handsome.
Mathematics.(of a subset of a set) not equal to the whole set.
Archaic.of good character; respectable.
adverb
Informal.thoroughly; completely.
noun
Ecclesiastical.a special office or special parts of an office appointed for a particular day or time.
proper
/ ˈɒə /
adjective
(usually prenominal) appropriate or suited for some purpose
in its proper place
correct in behaviour or conduct
excessively correct in conduct; vigorously moral
up to a required or regular standard
(immediately postpositive) (of an object, quality, etc) referred to or named specifically so as to exclude anything not directly connected with it
his claim is connected with the deed proper
belonging to or characteristic of a person or thing
informal(prenominal) (intensifier)
I felt a proper fool
(usually postpositive) (of heraldic colours) considered correct for the natural colour of the object or emblem depicted
three martlets proper
maths logic (of a relation) distinguished from a weaker relation by excluding the case where the relata are identical. For example, every set is a subset of itself, but a proper subset must exclude at least one member of the containing set See also strict
archaicpleasant or good
adverb
dialect(intensifier)
he's proper stupid
informalthoroughly
to get drunk good and proper
noun
the parts of the Mass that vary according to the particular day or feast on which the Mass is celebrated Compare ordinary
Other 51Թ Forms
- properly adverb
- properness noun
- unproper adjective
- ˈDZ adverb
- ˈDZԱ noun
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of proper1
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of proper1
Example Sentences
As an emergency physician, I tell her – quietly – that if she travels to another state, she can receive proper care.
In a sane time, the proper answer would be: Are you kidding?
On Wednesday, masked federal agents detained at least 12 people from businesses in Downey, but community members were able to discourage them from taking one man without proper documents.
Is there that proper spirit in the group?
“There are very unique situations where they could detain someone... but they could only detain that person long enough to hand it off to a proper law enforcement official.”
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When To Use
Proper is an adjective that describes something that is appropriate, adheres to polite behavior, or is correct. Proper is also used in grammar to refer to nouns that identify specific people, places, or things. The word proper has additional senses as an adjective, adverb, and noun.Something is said to be proper if it is suitable or appropriate. For example, spring and summer are the proper seasons for growing plants because the weather is often warm and sunny, with frequent rain.
- Real-life examples: A parking lot is a proper place to leave your car. The South Pole is not the proper place to wear shorts. April Fool’s Day is a proper time to play jokes on people.
- Used in a sentence: She didn’t think the base of an active volcano was a proper spot for her summer home.
- Real-life examples: It is not considered proper to laugh during a funeral. A bathing suit is not the proper outfit to wear to a banquet. It is not proper (or smart) to insult royalty.
- Used in a sentence: Fast food was not the proper meal to serve at the fancy dinner party.
- Real-life examples: Eating with your mouth is not the proper way to eat something (and often leads to food falling out of your mouth). Your English teacher will insist that you use proper spelling and punctuation in your writing. In the United States, the right lane of the road is the proper one to drive on.
- Used in a sentence: I can never remember the proper spelling of the word “definitely.”
- Real-life examples: Albert Einstein is the proper noun referring to a famous German physicist. New York City is the proper noun referring to a city in the United States. Portuguese is the proper adjective that describes someone or something from the country of Portugal.
- Used in a sentence: Some proper nouns, like “iPad,” don’t follow typical capitalization rules.
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