propriety
27
7.4
- noun
- /prəˈpraɪəti/
- Formal
:
decoro
- He was taught the importance of propriety in social situations, such as saying please and thank you.
- sense of propriety
- propriety and decorum
- dignity and propriety
You know, impositions of propriety are keeping you apart.
- You know, impositions of propriety are keeping you apart.
- And they have a conversation about the propriety of doing these extra legal things.
- And if you're not subject to FOI and free information, then you have to exert yourself a sense of propriety and say no.
- Smith Mulliken, you're the first man ever on a Kona fan to end the interview for your own good judgment and sense of propriety.
- But decorum, propriety order really, really central in Stoic stuff.
Examples
-
During the meeting, she emphasized the need for propriety in our discussions to maintain professionalism.
-
Sir, the true gentleman is a man whose conduct proceeds from goodwill and a true sense of propriety.
-
And they have a conversation about the propriety of doing these extra legal things.
-
Have you no sense of propriety left that you would challenge me?
Fiction book (2002) -
If people's sense of propriety has gone bad, what can a town do?
Fiction book (1992) -
Mr. Douglas, first of all, for the sake of propriety... ...I would like to present my children.
-
This concern of yours for propriety is unwarranted.
-
Since when are you a stickler for propriety?
-
The more important objections, we think, concern the propriety of the state's role as a gambling promoter.
Academic text (1996) -
Now the latest round of cases involves the propriety of invocations at public school graduation ceremonies.
Academic text (1991)
Synonyms
155
3.0
Polite, respectful behavior that follows common social rules
53
3.8
A way of behaving and speaking that follows social rules and polite manners
30
7.3
Polite and proper behavior in formal situations
24
4.8
A state of behaving and thinking like most people or like rules say
19
4.6
Being seen by other people as proper and having a good name
4
7.0
A state of following a rule or standard
1
6.9
Following accepted customs and usual ways of doing things
Being correct and appropriate for a situation
Behavior that follows rules people expect
A quality that shows polite, honest behavior and neat clothes
How suitable something is for a group or situation
A quality of being honest and fair that earns respect
Antonyms
How Proper
19
4.6
- Formal
27
7.4
1
5.5
- Formal
19
8.1
- NSFW
12
6.3
Surface Forms
Morphology
propriety = proper (transparent) = propriet + ity
The noun denotes the state or quality of being 'proper' formed by a standard nominalizing suffix '-ity', so the meaning is directly derived from 'proper'.
Etymology
The word propriety comes from the Latin word proprius, meaning 'one's own', and is the same root as English proper, so propriety is about behaving in the way that is 'right' for a situation.