proper definition

English proper definition

Alternative forms

• propre (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English propre, from Anglo-Norman proper, propre, Old French propre (French: propre), from Latin proprius.

Pronunciation

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɔp.ə/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɒp.ə(ɹ)/
• (US) enPR: präpʹər, IPA^(key): /ˈpɹɑ.pɚ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒpə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: prop‧er

Adjective

proper (comparative more proper, superlative most proper)

1. Suitable.
   1. Suited or acceptable to the purpose or circumstances; fit, suitable. [13th c.]

      the proper time to plant potatoes

      • 1733, [Alexander Pope], An Essay on Man. […], (please specify |epistle=I to IV), London: Printed for J[ohn] Wilford, […], OCLC 960856019:

        The proper study of mankind is man.

      • 2014 June 14, “It's a gas”, in The Economist, volume 411, number 8891:

        One of the hidden glories of Victorian engineering is proper drains. Isolating a city’s effluent and shipping it away in underground sewers has probably saved more lives than any medical procedure except vaccination.

   2. Following the established standards of behavior or manners; correct or decorous. [18th c.]

      a very proper young lady

      • 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, OCLC 639762314:

        This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. […] Indeed, all his features were in large mold, like the man himself, as though he had come from a day when skin garments made the proper garb of men.

2. Possessed, related.
   1. (grammar) Used to designate a particular person, place, or thing. Proper nouns are usually written with an initial capital letter. [14th c.]
   2. Pertaining exclusively to a specific thing or person; particular. [14th c.]
      • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970:

        , II.1.3:

        They have a proper saint almost for every peculiar infirmity: for poison, gouts, agues […].

      • 1829, James Marsh, Preliminary Essay to Samuel Taylor Coleridge's Aids to Reflection

        those higher and peculiar attributes […] which constitute our proper humanity

   3. (usually postpositive) In the strict sense; within the strict definition or core (of a specified place, taxonomic order, idea, etc).
      • 1893, Annual of the Universal Medical Sciences:

        These are divided into two great families, the vipers proper (Viperidae) and the pit-vipers (Crotalidae).

      • 1976, Eu-Yang Kwang, The political reconstruction of China, page 165:

        Siberia, though it stands outside the territorial confines of Russia proper, constitutes an essentially component part […] . Outer Mongolia, [so called] to distinguish it from Inner Mongolia, which lies nearer to China proper, revolted and declared its independence.

      • 2004, Stress, the Brain and Depression, page 24:

        Hence, this border is still blurred, raising the question whether traumatic life events induce sadness/distress – which is self-evident – or depression proper and, secondly, whether sadness/distress is a precursor or pacemaker of depression.

      • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:proper.
   4. Belonging to oneself or itself; own. [14th c.]

      proper motion — proper left — proper right

      • c. 1596–1599, William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act V, scene ii]:

        a man so bold
        That dares do justice on my proper son

      • 1717, John Dryden, Meleager and Atalanta

        Now learn the difference, at your proper cost, / Betwixt true valour and an empty boast.

      • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970:

        , II.4.1.ii:

        every country, and more than that, every private place, hath his proper remedies growing in it, particular almost to the domineering and most frequent maladies of it.

      • 1946, Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy, I.20:

        Each animal has its proper pleasure, and the proper pleasure of man is connected with reason.

   5. (heraldry) Portrayed in natural or usual coloration, as opposed to conventional tinctures. [16th c.]
   6. (mathematics) Being strictly part of some other thing (not necessarily explicitly mentioned, but of definitional importance), and not being the thing itself. [20th c.]

      proper subset — proper ideal

   7. (mathematics, physics) Eigen-; designating a function or value which is an eigenfunction or eigenvalue. [20th c.]
3. Accurate, strictly applied.
   1. Excellent, of high quality; such as the specific person or thing should ideally be. (Now often merged with later senses.) [14th c.]

      Now that was a proper breakfast.

   2. (now regional) Attractive, elegant. [14th c.]
      • 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], OCLC 762018299, Acts vij]:

        The same tyme was Moses borne, and was a propper [transl. ἀστεῖος (asteîos)] childe in the sight of God, which was norisshed up in his fathers housse thre monethes.

   3. (often postpositive) In the very strictest sense of the word. [14th c.]
      • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 16]”, in Ulysses, London: The Egoist Press, published October 1922, OCLC 2297483:

        Though unusual in the Dublin area he knew that it was not by any means unknown for desperadoes who had next to nothing to live on to be abroad waylaying and generally terrorising peaceable pedestrians by placing a pistol at their head in some secluded spot outside the city proper […].

   4. (now colloquial) Utter, complete. [15th c.]

      When I realized I was wearing my shirt inside out, I felt a proper fool.

Synonyms

• (fit, suitable): correct, right, apt, prudent, upright, sensible, fitting
• (correct, decorous): appropriate, decent, good, polite, right, well-mannered, upright
• (fitting, right): appropriate, just, honorable
• (complete, thorough): comprehensive, royal, sweeping, intensive
• (strictly, properly-speaking): strictly speaking, properly speaking, par excellence
• (true): full, complete
• (informal: utter): complete, right (informal), total, utter

Antonyms

• (fit, suitable): incorrect, wrong, bad, imprudent, insensible, improper
• (correct, decorous): inappropriate, indecent, bad, impolite, wrong, ill-mannered, unseemly
• (fitting, right): inappropriate, unjust, dishonorable
• (complete, thorough): partial, incomplete, superficial, slapdash
• (true): incomplete

Related terms

• appropriate
• propriety
• properly

Translations

See also

• proper adjective
• proper fraction
• proper noun

Adverb

proper (not comparable)

1. (UK, Australia, colloquial) properly; thoroughly; completely.
   • 1929, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, When the World Screamed‎^[1]:

     'I thought it was the American Associated Press.' 'Oh, they are on the track, are they?' 'They to-day, and the Times yesterday. Oh, they are buzzing round proper.'

   • 1956, Anthony Burgess, Time for a Tiger (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 202:

     “Christmas Eve,” said Nabby Adams. “I used to pump the bloody organ for the carols, proper pissed usually.”

   • 1957, Ray Lawler, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Sydney: Fontana Books, published 1974, page 32:

     The kid towelled him up proper.

   • 1964, Saint Andrew Society (Glasgow, Scotland), The Scots magazine: Volume 82

     Don't you think you must have looked proper daft?

2. (nonstandard, colloquial) properly.
   • 1988, Mary Steele, Mallyroot's Pub at Misery Ponds, Ringwood: Puffin Books, page 68:

     "But it's not many of us as can make 'em proper."

   • 2012, Soufside, Hello (song)

     When I meet a bad chick, know I gotta tell her hello

     talk real proper, but she straight up out the ghetto

Noun

proper (plural propers)

1. (obsolete) Something set apart for a special use.

Anagrams

• per pro, propre

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Catalan proper definition

Etymology

prop +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /pɾoˈpe/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /pɾuˈpe/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /pɾoˈpeɾ/

Adjective

proper (feminine propera, masculine plural propers, feminine plural properes)

1. near, close

   Synonym: pròxim

2. neighbouring
3. next

   Synonym: següent

Synonyms

• (the coming day, week, year etc.): que ve, venint

Related terms

• prop

Further reading

• “proper” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

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Danish proper definition

Etymology

Borrowed from French propre (“clean, house-trained, own”), from Latin proprius (“own”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /proːbər/, [ˈpʰʁ̥oːˀb̥ɐ]

Adjective

proper

1. cleanly
2. tidy

Inflection

Inflection of proper
	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Common singular	proper	—	—2
Neuter singular	propert	—	—2
Plural	propre	—	—2
Definite attributive1	propre	—	—
1) When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite, the corresponding "indefinite" form is used. 2) The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

Derived terms

• properhed ("cleanliness", "tidiness")

References

• “proper” in Den Danske Ordbog

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Dutch proper definition

Etymology

From Middle Dutch proper, from Old French propre, from Latin proprius.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈproː.pər/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pro‧per

Adjective

proper (comparative properder, superlative properst)

1. (chiefly Belgium) clean

Inflection

Inflection of proper
uninflected	proper
inflected	propere
comparative	properder
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		proper	properder	het properst het properste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	propere	properdere	properste
	n. sing.	proper	properder	properste
	plural	propere	properdere	properste
definite		propere	properdere	properste
partitive		propers	properders	—

Synonyms

• netjes, rein, zindelijk.
• (Netherlands) schoon.

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German proper definition

Etymology

Ultimately from Old French propre, from Latin proprius. Probably borrowed in north-western dialects via Middle Dutch proper [13th c., sense: 15th c.], later generalized under the influence of modern French propre. The colloquial euphemism for “chubby” may, in part, be due to association with Proppen (whence also proppenvoll and Wonneproppen).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpʁɔpɐ/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

proper (strong nominative masculine singular properer, comparative properer, superlative am propersten)

1. (somewhat informal, dated) in good condition: clean; neat; well-kept; developed

   Bis vor kurzem herrschte hier bittere Armut, aber jetzt ist es ein ganz properes Städtchen geworden.

   Until recently bitter poverty prevailed around here, but now it’s become rather a neat little town.

2. (colloquial, euphemistic) overweight; chubby

   Die Linda war doch immer so’ne Schlanke, aber jetzt sieht sie ziemlich proper aus.

   Linda was always a slender one, but now she looks pretty chubby.

Declension

Further reading

• “proper” in Duden online
• “proper” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

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Old French proper definition

Adjective

proper m (oblique and nominative feminine singular proper)

1. (rare) Alternative form of propre

   Or a mai entendez Ki proper volunté amez, Set Pechez 70