1
a
: referring to one individual only
b
: belonging to one : own
c
: appointed for the liturgy of a particular day
d
: represented heraldically in natural color
2
: belonging characteristically to a species or individual : peculiar
3
chiefly dialectal
: good-looking, handsome
4
: very good : excellent
6
: strictly limited to a specified thing, place, or idea
the city proper
7
8
: marked by suitability, rightness, or appropriateness : fit
9
: being a mathematical subset (such as a subgroup) that does not contain all the elements of the inclusive set from which it is derived
properness
noun
1
: the parts of the Mass that vary according to the liturgical calendar
2
: the part of a missal or breviary containing the proper of the Mass and the offices proper to the holy days of the liturgical year
chiefly dialectal
: in a thorough manner : completely
Synonyms
Examples of proper in a Sentence
Adjective
It is not proper to speak that way.
The children need to learn proper behavior.
It would not be proper for you to borrow the ladder without asking first.
She is a very prim and proper young lady.
Is this the proper spelling of your name?
You need to eat a proper meal instead of junk food.
Each step must be done in the proper order.
Adverb
They beat us good and proper.
Recent Examples on the Web
Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
The manager had an employee move the items to proper storage.
—Kunle Falayi, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, after the start of the conflict in Crimea, commercial, off-the-shelf drones were considered a last-resort asset used by volunteers to compensate for the lack of proper military systems.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024
That’s because there’s a strong emphasis on proper form, mind-body connection, and core stability.
—Christa Sgobba, SELF, 9 Apr. 2024
And proper eyewear is, of course, in your possession.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Folks who want to savor a proper chip ought to visit this English-American pub, according to Danielle Wheatley of San Jose.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
The Israeli military's report admitted WCK had followed proper protocols in coordinating their convoy's movements the night of the strike but that somewhere along the chain of command, those communications were not properly passed along.
—Meghan Mistry, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
The second-generation example has high-gloss finish that accentuates the vehicle’s clean lines and provides a proper showcase for the period-correct decal across the trunk lid.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024
Joan Niesen, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024
Half of the 30 new restaurants opened in Sacramento proper.
—Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 1 Feb. 2024
An alternative would be building in the U.S. proper.
—Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2023
Azerbaijan, armed with drones and F-16 fighter jets provided by Turkey, won a crushing victory, claiming about a third of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as attacking Armenia proper.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 17 Sep. 2023
The music subscription app is available individually or bundled with YouTube Premium, which also includes access to an ad-free experience on YouTube proper.
—Reece Rogers, WIRED, 15 Aug. 2023
The singers who played the couple became Treemonisha and her adoring friend, Remus, in the opera proper.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 27 July 2023
The Winner The Oberoi, Marrakech: Marrakesh, Morocco Leading the list for the second year in a row is this estate just outside Marrakesh proper, which opened just before the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Hannah Walhout, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2023
Fox owned several silos of Marvel’s characters before its acquisition by Disney in 2019 brought the movie rights to the characters back into Marvel proper.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 July 2023
Daniel Rothberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024
Universal Pictures proper earned 13 nominations, which all went to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the most of any film this year (Poor Things is second).
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The Backpacker’s Field Manual is a well-rounded and comprehensive primer on how to select a proper-fitting pack, select a campsite, lower your physical impact on the trail, plan a backcountry menu, and learn about dozens of other topics.
—Matt Jancer, Wired, 20 Nov. 2021
Another safety consideration has to do with injury risk: Wearing proper-fitting shoes can help prevent injury, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 25 Dec. 2020
Just as there’s something to be said for proper-fitting women’s flannels, there’s also something to be said for a good pair of men’s camp pants.
—Ben Romans, Outdoor Life, 26 Nov. 2020
The port proper is connected to Market Three by a narrow cement path that wends between an overgrown empty lot known as the Mountain, a permanent black puddle the size of a swimming pool, and the port’s 20-foot-high outside wall.
—Aurora Almendral, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2020
The carriage house proper boasted a livery room and space for six large equipages.
—John Freeman Gill, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2019
Big red signs warn them of the danger to their lives at the checkpoints that divide Israel proper from the Palestinian territories.
—Batya Ungar-Sargon, The New York Review of Books, 17 June 2019
Adjective
Langley said there’s no end to the list of people to thank for Universal’s winning streak, including the various divisions within the NBCU film empire, including Universal proper, Focus Features, Illumination and DreamWorks Animation.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
The manager had an employee move the items to proper storage.
—Kunle Falayi, The Arizona Republic, 10 Apr. 2024
Nevertheless, after the start of the conflict in Crimea, commercial, off-the-shelf drones were considered a last-resort asset used by volunteers to compensate for the lack of proper military systems.
—IEEE Spectrum, 10 Apr. 2024
That’s because there’s a strong emphasis on proper form, mind-body connection, and core stability.
—Christa Sgobba, SELF, 9 Apr. 2024
And proper eyewear is, of course, in your possession.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
Folks who want to savor a proper chip ought to visit this English-American pub, according to Danielle Wheatley of San Jose.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 8 Apr. 2024
The Israeli military's report admitted WCK had followed proper protocols in coordinating their convoy's movements the night of the strike but that somewhere along the chain of command, those communications were not properly passed along.
—Meghan Mistry, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
The second-generation example has high-gloss finish that accentuates the vehicle’s clean lines and provides a proper showcase for the period-correct decal across the trunk lid.
—Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
The New Orleans Times-Picayune wrote a story about the cakes, and more customers began to make the drive from New Orleans proper.
—Joan Niesen, Washington Post, 23 Jan. 2024
Half of the 30 new restaurants opened in Sacramento proper.
—Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 1 Feb. 2024
An alternative would be building in the U.S. proper.
—Bychristiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2023
Azerbaijan, armed with drones and F-16 fighter jets provided by Turkey, won a crushing victory, claiming about a third of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, as well as attacking Armenia proper.
—Christian Edwards, CNN, 17 Sep. 2023
The music subscription app is available individually or bundled with YouTube Premium, which also includes access to an ad-free experience on YouTube proper.
—Reece Rogers, WIRED, 15 Aug. 2023
The singers who played the couple became Treemonisha and her adoring friend, Remus, in the opera proper.
—Zachary Woolfe, New York Times, 27 July 2023
The Winner The Oberoi, Marrakech: Marrakesh, Morocco Leading the list for the second year in a row is this estate just outside Marrakesh proper, which opened just before the COVID-19 pandemic.
—Hannah Walhout, Travel + Leisure, 11 July 2023
Fox owned several silos of Marvel’s characters before its acquisition by Disney in 2019 brought the movie rights to the characters back into Marvel proper.
—Aaron Couch, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 July 2023
Adverb
Phoenix proper gets only about one-third of its water from the Colorado River.
—Daniel Rothberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2024
Universal Pictures proper earned 13 nominations, which all went to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the most of any film this year (Poor Things is second).
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The Backpacker’s Field Manual is a well-rounded and comprehensive primer on how to select a proper-fitting pack, select a campsite, lower your physical impact on the trail, plan a backcountry menu, and learn about dozens of other topics.
—Matt Jancer, Wired, 20 Nov. 2021
Another safety consideration has to do with injury risk: Wearing proper-fitting shoes can help prevent injury, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons says.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 25 Dec. 2020
Just as there’s something to be said for proper-fitting women’s flannels, there’s also something to be said for a good pair of men’s camp pants.
—Ben Romans, Outdoor Life, 26 Nov. 2020
The port proper is connected to Market Three by a narrow cement path that wends between an overgrown empty lot known as the Mountain, a permanent black puddle the size of a swimming pool, and the port’s 20-foot-high outside wall.
—Aurora Almendral, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2020
The carriage house proper boasted a livery room and space for six large equipages.
—John Freeman Gill, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2019
Big red signs warn them of the danger to their lives at the checkpoints that divide Israel proper from the Palestinian territories.
—Batya Ungar-Sargon, The New York Review of Books, 17 June 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'proper.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Adjective
Middle English propre proper, own, from Anglo-French, from Latin proprius own
First Known Use
Adjective
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adverb
15th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of proper was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing proper
Articles Related to proper
Dictionary Entries Near proper
Cite this Entry
“Proper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proper. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
proper
adjective
prop·er
ˈpräp-ər
1
: belonging naturally to something : special
diseases proper to the tropics
2
: considered without surrounding places, things, or events
lived outside the city proper
3
a
: strictly accurate : correct
the proper way to pronounce the word
b
: obeying social rules : appropriate
the proper way to address the mayor
4
: suitable because of an essential nature or condition
proper lighting to work by
properness
noun
Legal Definition
proper
adjective
prop·er
: marked by fitness or correctness
especially
: being in accordance with established procedure, law, jurisdiction, or standards of care, fairness, and justice
argued that the shareholder was acting in bad faith and lacked a proper purpose for examining its records
properly
adverb
More from Merriam-Webster on proper
Nglish: Translation of proper for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of proper for Arabic Speakers
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