improper

English

Alternative forms

impropre (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle French impropre, from Latin improprius (“not proper”), from in- + proprius (“proper”).

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɹɒp.ə/
- Audio (UK) (file)
(General Australian) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɹɔp.ə/
(General American) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɹɑ.pɚ/
Rhymes: -ɒpə(ɹ)

Adjective

improper (comparative more improper, superlative most improper)

unsuitable to needs or circumstances; inappropriate; inapt
Not in keeping with conventional mores or good manners; indecent or immodest
improper conduct
Not according to facts; inaccurate or erroneous
Not consistent with established facts; incorrect
Not properly named; See, for example, improper fraction
(obsolete) Not specific or appropriate to individuals; general; common.
- 1608, John Fletcher, The Faithful Shepherdess:
  Not to be adorned with any art but such improper ones as nature is said to bestow, as singing and poetry.
(mathematics) Of a complex random variable, correlated with its conjugate

Synonyms

unproper (obsolete or rare)

Derived terms

Terms derived from improper

improper divisor
improper face
improper fit
improper fraction
improper integral
improper motion
improper node
improper orthogonal transformation
improper rotation
improper use
improper workmanship

Translations

unsuitable to needs or circumstances

Basque: ezegoki
Bulgarian: неподходящ (bg) (nepodhodjašt), неуместен (bg) (neumesten)
Catalan: impropi
Dutch: ongepast (nl)
Finnish: sopimaton (fi)
French: impropre (fr), inapproprié (fr), inadapté (fr)
German: unpassend (de)
Japanese: そぐわない (soguwanai), 不適切な (ja) (futekisetsu na)
Latin: improprius
Norwegian: upassende (no), uegnet
Portuguese: impróprio (pt)
Romanian: impropriu (ro)
Russian: неуме́стный (ru) (neuméstnyj), неподходя́щий (ru) (nepodxodjáščij)
Slovak: nevhodný
Slovene: neprimeren
Tagalog: di-angkop
Turkish: uygunsuz (tr)

not in keeping with conventional mores or good manners

Armenian: անպիտան (hy) (anpitan), անվայել (hy) (anvayel)
Bulgarian: неприличен (bg) (nepriličen), непристоен (bg) (nepristoen)
Catalan: impropi
Danish: upassende, uanstændig
Dutch: ongeschikt (nl), misplaatst (nl)
Finnish: säädytön (fi), sopimaton (fi)
French: impropre (fr), inconvenant (fr), grossier (fr)
German: unhöflich (de)
Irish: aindílis
Latin: indecens
Norwegian: upassende (no), uanstendig (no)
Portuguese: impróprio (pt), indecente (pt), indecoroso (pt)
Russian: непристо́йный (ru) (nepristójnyj), неприли́чный (ru) (neprilíčnyj)
Sanskrit: अकार्य (sa) (akārya)
Slovak: nevhodný
Tagalog: di-angkap
Turkish: uygunsuz (tr), yakışıksız (tr)

Not according to facts

Bulgarian: неточен (bg) (netočen), неправилен (bg) (nepravilen)
Dutch: onjuist (nl), foutief (nl)
Finnish: väärä (fi)
Norwegian: uriktig, feilaktig, urettmessig (no)
Portuguese: impróprio (pt), incorreto (pt)
Russian: непра́вильный (ru) (neprávilʹnyj), оши́бочный (ru) (ošíbočnyj), ло́жный (ru) (lóžnyj)
Slovak: nesprávny
Turkish: yanlış (tr)

Not consistent with established facts

Dutch: inconsistent (nl), foutief (nl)
Norwegian: uriktig
Portuguese: impróprio (pt), incorreto (pt)
Russian: непра́вильный (ru) (neprávilʹnyj)
Slovak: nesprávny

Not properly named

Catalan: impropi
Dutch: verkeerd omschreven
French: impropre (fr)
Japanese: そぐわない (soguwanai), 不適切な (ja) (futekisetsu na)
Norwegian: feilaktig
Portuguese: impróprio (pt)

Verb

improper (third-person singular simple present impropers, present participle impropering, simple past and past participle impropered)

(obsolete, transitive) To appropriate; to limit.
- 1565, John Jewel, letter to Thomas Harding
  He would in like manner improper and inclose the sunbeams to comfort the rich and not the poor.
(obsolete) To behave improperly

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for improper in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913)

Anagrams

impropre