proprieties

plural of propriety
as in etiquette
personal conduct or behavior as evaluated by an accepted standard of appropriateness for a social or professional setting an etiquette columnist who insists that traditional proprieties are necessary in order to maintain a civil society

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of proprieties Faulkner said the Apartment Association will also help arrange community gatherings with first responders at participating proprieties. — Austin Sanders, Austin American Statesman, 6 Feb. 2026 At this point, the proprieties of writing op eds call upon us to offer citations to this effect. — Oded J K Faran, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proprieties
Noun
  • Miss Manners asks because the etiquette answer to your question depends on the publication format.
    — Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2026
  • There was an etiquette that developed about how to reveal the bugs and when to give people notification.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 7 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • Trombecky told me that Villalba, who came on board periodically, had a gentle manner and seemed conflict-averse.
    — Shayla Love, New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Based on a preliminary autopsy, Malayshia's cause of death is blunt force trauma, and the manner of death has been ruled a homicide, Toczylowski said.
    — Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Proprieties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proprieties. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!