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⇱ proper - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

proper

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UK:**UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈprɒpər/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈprɑpɚ/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(prop′ər)


WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
prop•er /ˈprɑpɚ/USA pronunciation   adj. 
  1. most suitable;
    right;
    correct:[before a noun]Is this the proper time to plant strawberries?
  2. agreeing with established or accepted standards:proper behavior.[It + be + ~ + to + verb]It's not proper to come so late to parties.
  3. in the strict sense:[after a noun]Shellfish do not belong to the class of fishes proper.
  4. British Terms[Chiefly Brit.]utter;
    genuine:[before a noun]a proper fool.
prop•er•ly, adv. See -propr-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026
prop•er  (prop′ər),USA pronunciation adj. 
  1. adapted or appropriate to the purpose or circumstances;
    fit;
    suitable:the proper time to plant strawberries.
  2. conforming to established standards of behavior or manners;
    correct or decorous:a very proper young man.
  3. fitting;
    right:It was only proper to bring a gift.
  4. strictly belonging or applicable:the proper place for a stove.
  5. belonging or pertaining exclusively or distinctly to a person, thing, or group.
  6. strict;
    accurate.
  7. in the strict sense of the word (usually used postpositively):Shellfish do not belong to the fishes proper. Is the school within Boston proper or in the suburbs?
  8. Grammar
    • (of a name, noun, or adjective) designating a particular person or thing and written in English with an initial capital letter, as Joan, Chicago, Monday, American.
    • having the force or function of a proper name:a proper adjective.
  9. normal or regular.
  10. belonging to oneself or itself;
    own.
  11. British Terms[Chiefly Brit. Informal.]complete or thorough:a proper thrashing.
  12. Religion[Eccles.]used only on a particular day or festival:the proper introit.
  13. Heraldry(of a device) depicted in its natural colors:an oak tree proper.
  14. Informal Terms
    • excellent;
      capital;
      fine.
    • good-looking or handsome.
  15. Mathematics(of a subset of a set) not equal to the whole set.
  16. [Archaic.]of good character;
    respectable.

adv. 
  1. Informal Termsthoroughly;
    completely.

n. 
  1. Religion[Eccles.]a special office or special parts of an office appointed for a particular day or time.
  • Latin proprius one's own
  • Old French
  • Middle English propre 1250–1300
prop′er•ly, adv. 
prop′er•ness, n. 
    1. suited. 2. 3. meet, befitting, becoming, decent, polite. 5. special, individual, peculiar. 6. precise, exact, just, formal.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
proper /ˈprɒpə/ adj
  1. (usually prenominal) appropriate or suited for some purpose: in its proper place
  2. correct in behaviour or conduct
  3. excessively correct in conduct; vigorously moral
  4. up to a required or regular standard
  5. (immediately postpositive) (of an object, quality, etc) referred to or named specifically so as to exclude anything not directly connected with it: his claim is connected with the deed proper
  6. (postpositive) followed by to: belonging to or characteristic of a person or thing
  7. (prenominal) Brit informal (intensifier): I felt a proper fool
  8. (usually postpositive) (of heraldic colours) considered correct for the natural colour of the object or emblem depicted: three martlets proper
  9. archaic pleasant or good
 adv
  1. good and proper ⇒ informal thoroughly
 n
  1. the parts of the Mass that vary according to the particular day or feast on which the Mass is celebrated
    Compare ordinary
Etymology: 13th Century: via Old French from Latin prōprius specialˈproperly adv ˈproperness n
'proper' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
Collocations: [the, a] proper way to [do, make, fix], the proper use of [cleaning products, semicolons, English], am I in the proper place?, more...

Forum discussions with the word(s) "proper" in the title:

" I had it in my power to ripen his frenzy with proper applications"
,<getting> the proper feeling of the place into the drawing
... take the proper trolley-buses or buses.
'Proper' list format: a, b[,] [and/or] c
'Some' before proper nouns
'What's the proper phrase here?'
“The Sin Devil Trigger”-Proper nouns and determiners
(Wick trimming)/ (trimming wick) is only part of proper candle burning technique
[Roman Catholic] What is the proper noun 'Lesser Brothers'?
[Yes, John is. /Yes, he is] proper noun in a short answers
a + adjective + Proper Name [eg, a beaming Mr Sunak]
A + adjective + proper noun ?
a busy proper advisory soul
A common noun after a proper noun
A proper adjective for a car with wide interior space length
a proper backseat boy in class
A proper closure
a proper English
a proper going-over
A proper grammatical aspect to use
A proper place to park / A proper place to park in
<a> proper quarters
A Proper Reason
A proper title for a certain specialization
A proper title for an old woman
A rule concerning academic proper nouns
about proper use of article
Adjective following a noun (proper, apparent)
adjectives and proper names
adjectives and proper nouns
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