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
Questions of fairness The law commands respect, and courtesy and propriety are always in order.
—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2025
As the century moved on, the Times became a totem of middle-class culture and propriety.
—Frank Rich, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025
Tim’s whole life has been rooted in propriety, but this trip seems to be changing him.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2025
Ginny, their passive-aggressive control freak of a mother, will not admit into her home any problems, doubts or identities that violate her sense of upbeat Christian propriety.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for propriety
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2025
As the century moved on, the Times became a totem of middle-class culture and propriety.
—Frank Rich, Vulture, 8 Apr. 2025
Tim’s whole life has been rooted in propriety, but this trip seems to be changing him.
—Noel Murray, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2025
Ginny, their passive-aggressive control freak of a mother, will not admit into her home any problems, doubts or identities that violate her sense of upbeat Christian propriety.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for propriety
Recent Examples of Synonyms for propriety
Noun
-
The dispute between the two golfers was captured on video and appeared to be a matter of golf etiquette.—
Paulina Dedaj,
FOXNews.com,
28 June 2025
-
The latest rules of tipping etiquette include 18 to 20% for services that require a fair amount of effort — waiting tables, delivering food, styling hair, babysitting and driving a rideshare or taxi, for example.—
Katie Kelton,
Boston Herald,
22 June 2025
Noun
-
Additionally, the rate at which water freezes affects the shape and size in which bubbles form, in a predictable manner.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
20 June 2025
-
As a result, he is expected to be featured in a significant manner at SummerSlam.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
That such rhetoric passed without objection is not merely a failure of decorum.—
Isabella Brannon,
FOXNews.com,
18 June 2025
-
Rodriguez was speaking in opposition to a new decorum policy that prohibited profanity.—
Harrison Mantas,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 June 2025
Noun
-
The Oscar winner was set to appear in court again in November to hash out the validity of their premarital agreement, but reached a settlement instead.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
16 June 2025
-
The Supreme Court majority opinion, delivered by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, argued that the Tax Court does not have the authority to consider the validity of an individual's tax obligations in the absence of a levy.—
Jenna Sundel
Jason Lemon,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
But Leo represents a stubborn kind of institution—one that doesn't play Twitter games or respond to every provocation, and that insists on the moral weight of facts, decency, and mercy.—
Christopher Hale,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
-
There is no procedure that supersedes basic decency.—
Daryl Campbell,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
For Iranians themselves, it’s been a deeply frustrating recurring cycle, most recently experienced in the protests in 2022 that followed the death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who had been detained by the religious morality police.—
ERIC EDELMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
20 June 2025
-
Iranian morality police had detained Amini, a Kurdish Iranian woman, for not wearing the hijab properly.—
Sara Monetta,
NBC news,
19 June 2025
Noun
-
What’s interesting is that some brands were featured organically in outfits worn on screen, while others were built prominently into the plot—and both forms of product placement proved lucrative when approached with careful planning and relevance.—
Alison Bringé,
Forbes.com,
24 June 2025
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Adding a further wrinkle in what has been by any measure a proceeding draining its relevance by the day as tensions in LA over the troops’ downtown presence lessen even as ICE raid intensify, Judge Breyer left the next move a hanging chad of sorts.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
20 June 2025
Noun
-
In all negotiations, prudence cannot be sacrificed.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
18 June 2025
-
Waugh: Fundamentally, Newcastle want to significantly bolster Howe’s squad while maintaining financial prudence.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
12 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Propriety.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/propriety. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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