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
Al Shipley, SPIN, 22 Apr. 2024
But Sentiment is a place to jump right into her sonic world, with a proper pop pace: 10 songs in 37 minutes.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024
The 24 Best Bars in Paris The City of Light has no shortage of spots for a proper pour.
—Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2024
Even Botox injections done by a professional—and with the proper drug—have their risks.
—Simmone Shah, TIME, 22 Apr. 2024
With proper care, the results of DHI and FUE hair transplants can last a long time.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024
In February, a federal judge ruled that the Cibola-Queen Creek transfer was done without proper environmental review, ordering the federal Bureau of Reclamation to complete a more thorough evaluation.
—Maanvi Singh, WIRED, 20 Apr. 2024
Staging Curb appeal can also be improved with proper staging of outdoor spaces using patio furniture and accessories.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2024
Instead, a new security guard [Castellanos], who lacked the proper training and experience, was on duty at the time.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024
Chadner Navarro, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Apr. 2024
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
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
Increasingly, the award, which is selected by a small committee, has become a tactic for recognizing acts who’ve been nominated for the Hall proper without getting all the way to induction, such as Judas Priest in 2022 and Chaka Khan in 2023.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 22 Apr. 2024
But Sentiment is a place to jump right into her sonic world, with a proper pop pace: 10 songs in 37 minutes.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024
The 24 Best Bars in Paris The City of Light has no shortage of spots for a proper pour.
—Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2024
Even Botox injections done by a professional—and with the proper drug—have their risks.
—Simmone Shah, TIME, 22 Apr. 2024
With proper care, the results of DHI and FUE hair transplants can last a long time.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 21 Apr. 2024
In February, a federal judge ruled that the Cibola-Queen Creek transfer was done without proper environmental review, ordering the federal Bureau of Reclamation to complete a more thorough evaluation.
—Maanvi Singh, WIRED, 20 Apr. 2024
Staging Curb appeal can also be improved with proper staging of outdoor spaces using patio furniture and accessories.
—Kristine Gill, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 Apr. 2024
Instead, a new security guard [Castellanos], who lacked the proper training and experience, was on duty at the time.
—Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 19 Apr. 2024
Noun
Just west of the city proper, The Wigwam, another nearly century-old stalwart (originally built as a vacation lodge for Goodyear Tire execs), unveiled its own top-to-bottom makeover, which included remodeling its 331 rooms and casitas.
—Chadner Navarro, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Apr. 2024
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
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.
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Cite this Entry
“Proper.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proper. Accessed 26 Apr. 2024.
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