1
as in etiquette
socially acceptable behavior
some people miss the straitlaced propriety that was largely abandoned in the 1960s
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in manner
proprieties plural
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
3
as in appropriateness
the quality or state of being especially suitable or fitting
I'm not sure about the propriety of serving champagne in these glasses
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of propriety
Her wealthy new family refuses to extend any of their access or connections to Annie; to them, friendship is nowhere near as important as propriety.
—
Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
And a sense of propriety and respect for the office, right?
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 6 Mar. 2026
Ethel moves Carolyn’s bags to another room in keeping with propriety; this is a Catholic family, mind you.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
But the cult of quiet-luxury propriety that has sprung up around the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (also known as CBK) protects the fit of her cords and the length of her sweaters like sacred laws.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for propriety
Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
And a sense of propriety and respect for the office, right?
—Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 6 Mar. 2026
Ethel moves Carolyn’s bags to another room in keeping with propriety; this is a Catholic family, mind you.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 27 Feb. 2026
But the cult of quiet-luxury propriety that has sprung up around the late Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (also known as CBK) protects the fit of her cords and the length of her sweaters like sacred laws.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for propriety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propriety
Noun
-
Good ex-etiquette means considering how your decisions impact your co-parenting structure, not just your romantic relationship.—
Jann Blackstone,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
-
Beyond the discussion about airline etiquette, Rudd also shared one of his favorite memories with wife Julie Yaeger during the podcast.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
San Antonio is looking to bounce back after falling short of a comeback in a devastating manner in Game 2.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
-
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the official cause and manner of death.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
According to council members who supported the decision, concerns included the appropriateness of the program for children and its potential impact on attendance by some families.—
Jack Springgate,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
-
Participants prioritized scientific and medical accuracy, clarity, ease of pronunciation, avoiding stigma, and cultural appropriateness.—
Melanie Cree,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
Most presidents have tried to maintain decorum at their residence, knowing the White House is a symbol of the United States and that its gravitas is the work of generations.—
Conor Friedersdorf,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
-
The food remains rigorously composed but more attuned to our moment, and the servers, a number of whom have worked for Daniel Boulud for decades, prize warmth as much as decorum.—
Ligaya Mishan,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Under the resolution, initiatives attributed to Ramallah to create a parallel land registry in Area C were declared to have no legal validity or standing.—
Amelie Botbol,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
Lindell is a longtime Trump ally who has also boosted false conspiracies about the validity of the 2020 election results.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
1 June 2026
Noun
-
There should be no place in our politics for incompetent, opportunistic operatives who violate privacy, betray trust, and prioritize vengeance over decency.—
Jared Kofsky,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
And everybody on this Earth deserves human decency.—
Nick Caloway,
CBS News,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
According to investigators, the survival benefit was observed regardless of a patient’s RAS mutation status, suggesting the treatment could have broad applicability across metastatic pancreatic cancer populations.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
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Playwright Mark Rosenblatt takes a leaf from the Peter Morgan playbook of using newsy real-life controversies with direct contemporary applicability to spark balanced drama.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Noun
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In some ways, the histories of this school call back to those written in the 19th century, casting the country’s origin as providential—not quite an immaculate conception, but not far off—and emphasizing the morality and timelessness of America’s founding creed.—
Yoni Appelbaum,
The Atlantic,
8 June 2026
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Lestat justifies his, uh, connection with Gabriella by arguing that vampires transcend petty human concepts like conventional morality.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Propriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propriety. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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