proper

prop·er  (prpr)

adj.

1. Characterized by appropriateness or suitability; fitting: the proper knife for cutting bread; not a proper moment for a joke.

2. Called for by rules or conventions; correct: the proper form for a business letter.

3. Strictly following rules or conventions, especially in social behavior; seemly: a proper lady; a proper gentleman.

4.

a. Belonging to one; own: restored to his proper shape by the magician.

b. Characteristically belonging to the being or thing in question; peculiar: an optical effect proper to fluids.

5. Being within the strictly limited sense, as of a term designating something: the town proper, excluding the suburbs.

6. Ecclesiastical For use in the liturgy of a particular feast or season of the year.

7. Mathematics Of or relating to a subset of a given set when the set has at least one element not in the subset.

8. Worthy of the name; true: wanted a proper dinner, not just a snack.

9. Out-and-out; thorough: a proper whipping.

adv.

Thoroughly: beat the eggs good and proper.

n. Ecclesiastical also Proper

The parts of the liturgy that vary according to the particular feast or season of the year.

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[Middle English propre, from Old French, from Latin proprius; see per¹ in Indo-European roots.]

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proper·ly adv.

proper·ness n.

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proper

Adjective

1. real or genuine: a proper home

2. appropriate or usual: good wine must have the proper balance of sugar and acid

3. suited to a particular purpose: they set out without any proper climbing gear

4. correct in behaviour: in many societies it is not considered proper for a woman to show her legs

5. excessively moral: she was very strait-laced and proper

6. being or forming the main or central part of something: a suburb some miles west of the city proper

7. Brit, Austral & NZ informal complete: you made him look a proper fool [Latin proprius special]

properly adv

Thesaurus

Adj.	1.	proper - marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness; "proper medical treatment"; "proper manners" appropriate - suitable for a particular person or place or condition etc; "a book not appropriate for children"; "a funeral conducted the appropriate solemnity"; "it seems that an apology is appropriate" correct, right - free from error; especially conforming to fact or truth; "the correct answer"; "the correct version"; "the right answer"; "took the right road"; "the right decision" decent - conforming to conventions of sexual behavior; "speech in this circle, if not always decent, never became lewd"- George Santayana decorous - characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct; "the tete-a-tete was decorous in the extreme" right - in conformance with justice or law or morality; "do the right thing and confess" improper - not suitable or right or appropriate; "slightly improper to dine alone with a married man"; "improper medication"; "improper attire for the golf course"
	2.	proper - having all the qualities typical of the thing specified; "wanted a proper dinner; not just a snack"; "he finally has a proper job" real - no less than what is stated; worthy of the name; "the real reason"; "real war"; "a real friend"; "a real woman"; "meat and potatoes--I call that a real meal"; "it's time he had a real job"; "it's no penny-ante job--he's making real money"
	3.	proper - limited to the thing specified; "the city proper"; "his claim is connected with the deed proper" specific - (sometimes followed by `to') applying to or characterized by or distinguishing something particular or special or unique; "rules with specific application"; "demands specific to the job"; "a specific and detailed account of the accident"
	4.	proper - appropriate for a condition or purpose or occasion or a person's character, needs; "everything in its proper place"; "the right man for the job"; "she is not suitable for the position" right appropriate - suitable for a particular person or place or condition etc; "a book not appropriate for children"; "a funeral conducted the appropriate solemnity"; "it seems that an apology is appropriate"

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proper

adjective 1. real, actual, genuine, true, bona fide, kosher (informal) dinkum Austral., N.Z. (informal)

adjective 2. correct, accepted, established, appropriate, right, formal, conventional, accurate, exact, precise, legitimate, orthodox, apt << OPPOSITE improper

adjective 3. polite, right, becoming, seemly, fitting, fit, mannerly, suitable, decent, gentlemanly, refined, respectable, befitting, genteel, de rigueur (French) ladylike, meet (archaic) decorous, punctilious, comme il faut (French) << OPPOSITE unseemly

adjective 4. characteristic, own, special, individual, personal, particular, specific, peculiar, respective

Translations

proper [ˈprɔpəʳ] adj (= suited, right) → propio (= exact); justo (= apt); apropiado, conveniente (= timely); oportuno (= seemly); correcto, decente (= authentic); verdadero;

(col) (= real); auténtico;

to go through the proper channels (ADMIN) → ir por la vía oficial

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proper [ˈprɔpəʳ] adj (= suited, right) → approprié(e) → bon(bonne) (= seemly); correct(e) → convenable (= authentic); vrai(e) → véritable;

(inf) (= real); fini(e) → vrai(e);

(referring to place);

the village proper → le village proprement dit;

to go through the proper channels (Admin) → passer par la voie officielle

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proper [ˈprɔpəʳ] adj (= genuine, correct) → richtig (= socially acceptable); schicklich;

(inf) (= real); echt;

the town/city proper → die Stadt selbst;

to go through the proper channels → den Dienstweg einhalten

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proper [ˈprɔpəʳ] adj (= suited, right) → adatto/a, appropriato/a (= seemly); decente (= authentic); vero/a;

(col) (= real); 'n' + vero/a e proprio/a;

to go through the proper channels (ADMIN) → seguire la regolare procedura