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
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
And a sense of propriety and respect for the office, right?
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for propriety
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
And a sense of propriety and respect for the office, right?
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for propriety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propriety
Noun
-
This is part exploration of possible alien life, part etiquette guide for meeting aliens, part pop culture analysis.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
The son of Italian nobles, Baldassare Castiglione’s main claim to fame was writing a book of etiquette based on his experience as a courtier, a person who serves as an attendant to a king, queen, or other member of a royal family.—
René Ostberg,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
7 May 2026
Noun
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But on Monday, they will be lined up in such a manner to appear relatively close to each other.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
18 May 2026
-
Claude will suddenly and unexpectedly tell a user during an ordinary chat to consider getting some sleep or rest, doing so in a casual, positive manner (not a harsh demand or rude insistence).—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Noun
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The superintendent should consult with generative AI experts to learn the difference between AI and generative AI, to determine the appropriateness of generative AI in schools, to establish safety protocols to avoid data breaches and deny student access to erroneous and/or offensive information.—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
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But the city says the Historic Preservation Board should still weigh in on the project’s overall design and decide whether to grant the hotel a certificate of appropriateness, based on compatibility with the surrounding area and other criteria.—
Aaron Leibowitz,
Miami Herald,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
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Graf further noted that safeguards are already in place to protect the integrity of the proceedings, including limits on camera placement, courtroom decorum rules and restrictions on what attorneys can say publicly about the case.—
Adam Sabes , Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Agent Ammie is the Special Agent, Review Fraud Division, who investigates every single review on Liners to verify its validity and unbiasedness.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
-
Only a few of the candidates explicitly raise doubts about the validity of the 2020 election on their campaign websites.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
But just as much of its humor came from portraying displays of everyday decency as the stuff of Hollywood make-believe, on par with the cinematic catharsis of a high-stakes Damon vehicle.—
Erik Adams,
The Atlantic,
10 May 2026
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Leung, in a rare foray into European cinema, is a serene elder statesman, tempering his character’s intense drive—his excitement in the face of a potential scientific breakthrough—with a gently imploring decency and restraint.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
These factors reduce the applicability and appeal to venture-style funding.—
Samuel Mueller,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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These morality tales, focusing on figures like Michael Milken and Ivan Boesky, make an implicit claim that individual avarice somehow explains the excesses of an entire era.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 May 2026
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As this memoir opens, Iran’s morality police stalk the university where Nafisi works, censuring her female students.—
The Atlantic,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Propriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propriety. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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