propriety

1 socially acceptable behavior some people miss the straitlaced propriety that was largely abandoned in the 1960s Synonyms decorum, form, decencyRelated Words etiquette; civility, courteousness, courtesy, gentilesse, gentility, graciousness, mannerliness, politeness, politesse; dignity, grace, refinement; discretion, prudence; appropriateness, correctitude, correctness, decorousness, fitness, rightness, seemliness; attention, attentiveness, care, carefulness; character, goodness, high-mindedness, honesty, honor, integrity, morality, probity, rectitude, righteousness, straightness, uprightness, virtue, virtuousnessNear Antonyms coarseness, crudeness, gracelessness; discourtesy, impoliteness, incivility, vulgarity; imprudence, indiscretion; badness, evil, immorality, wickedness; debauchery, degeneracy, degradation, depravity, perversion; crookedness, dishonesty, underhandedness, unscrupulousnessAntonyms impropriety, indecency, indecorum

2 proprieties pl  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 etiquette, form, mores, proprietiesRelated Words amenities, civilities, pleasantries; bearing, demeanor, deportment, mien; courtesy, decorum, mannerliness, politeness; formalities, protocol, rules; air, attitude, carriage, poise, polish, pose, posture, presence; custom, habit, pattern, practice (also practise), trick, way, wont; convention, fashion, mode, style

3 the quality or state of being especially suitable or fitting I'm not sure about the propriety of serving champagne in these glasses Synonyms appositeness, aptness, felicitousness, felicity, fitness, fittingness, happiness, properness, appropriateness, rightness, seemliness, suitability, suitablenessRelated Words agreeableness, compatibility, congruity, harmoniousness; applicability, bearing, connection, justifiability, materiality, pertinence, relevance, relevancy, validity; acceptability, adequacy, adequateness, convenience, expedience, expediency, satisfactoriness, serviceableness, usefulnessNear Antonyms disagreeableness, incompatibility, incongruence, incongruity, incongruousness, inexpedience, inexpediency, inharmoniousness, unbecomingness; immateriality, inapplicability, irrelevance, irrelevancy; meaninglessness, pointlessnessAntonyms improperness, impropriety, inappositeness, inappropriateness, inaptness, infelicity, unfitness, unseemliness, unsuitability, wrongness