properly

adverb

prop·​er·​ly ˈprä-pər-lē 

: in a proper manner:

a

: in an acceptable or suitable way

behaving properly

trying to get the system to work properly

"Oh yes, I am not at all ashamed of it. I would have everybody marry if they can do it properly."

—Jane Austen

b

: in an accurate or correct way

It might more properly be termed a musical device than a musical form.

—Aaron Copland

Scoop out the seeds (properly called arils, a botanical term that includes the tiny actual seeds and the juicy, edible pulp around them).

—David Karp

Synonyms of properly

• correctly
• appropriately

Examples of properly in a Sentence

the scouts were properly dressed for a week of camping

Recent Examples on the Web

Due to an error by a court clerk, however, the recall order was not properly processed. — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026

The recall is due to rearview cameras that may not display properly, which is listed under NHTSA ID Number 26V42300. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 8 July 2026

This quotation rejects the notion that Hartig, or the Smithsonian more broadly, fails to properly celebrate American history. — Marc Stein, Time, 8 July 2026

When an approver gets an alert without the context to properly evaluate it, the tendency is to click yes on reflex. — Jason Andersen, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for properly

• improperly

Kids Definition

properly

adverb

prop·​er·​ly

ˈpräp-ər-lē

1

: in a fit or suitable way

behave properly in church

2

: according to fact : correctly

properly labeled goods

properly speaking, whales are not fish