proper

See also: Proper and pro per

English

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)

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.
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.]
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 [translating 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, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], OCLC 560090630:
    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

fit, suitable

Armenian: համապատասխան (hy) (hamapatasxan)
Bulgarian: подходящ (bg) (podhodjašt)
Catalan: adequat (ca)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 適當／适当 (zh) (shìdàng), 妥當／妥当 (zh) (tuǒdang, tuǒdàng)
Czech: správný (cs), pravý (cs)
Dutch: goed (nl), juist (nl), gepast (nl), geschikt (nl)
Finnish: oikea (fi), kunnon (fi)
French: approprié (fr)
Galician: adecuado m
Georgian: ვარგისი (vargisi), შესაფერისი (šesaperisi), სათანადო (satanado)
German: richtig (de), passend (de), angemessen (de)
Gothic: 𐌲𐌰𐌳𐍉𐍆 (gadōf), 𐍆𐌰𐌲𐍂𐍃 (fagrs)
Greek:
Ancient: ἄρτιος (ártios), πρεπώδης (prepṓdēs)
Hebrew: ראוי‎ (he) m (ra'úy)
Hiligaynon: dápat
Hindi: उचित (hi) (ucit)
Hungarian: megfelelő (hu)
Italian: adatto (it) m, appropriato (it) m
Japanese: ふさわしい (ja) (ふさわしい, fusawashii), 適した (てきした, tekishita), 適切 (ja) (てきせつ, tekisetsu), 適当 (ja) (てきとう, tekitō), 妥当 (ja) (だとう, datō)
Latin: aptus (la), idōneus
Macedonian: соодветен m (soodveten), прикладен m (prikladen), погоден m (pogoden)
Norwegian: passende (no), høvelig
Old English: ġedēfe, ġedafen, dafenlīċ, cynn
Polish: właściwy (pl) m
Portuguese: apropriado (pt), próprio (pt), adequado (pt)
Russian: подходя́щий (ru) (podxodjáščij), соотве́тствующий (ru) (sootvétstvujuščij), надлежа́щий (ru) (nadležáščij)
Scottish Gaelic: iomchaidh
Slovene: primeren, ustrezen (sl)
Spanish: adecuado (es)
Swedish: proper (sv), passande (sv), lämplig (sv)
Turkish: düzgün (tr)
Ukrainian: підходя́щий (pidxodjáščyj), нале́жний (naléžnyj)
Urdu: اچت‎ (ucit)
Welsh: addas (cy)

following the established standards of behavior or manners

Armenian: պատշաճ (hy) (patšač)
Bulgarian: приличен (bg) (priličen), пристоен (bg) (pristoen)
Czech: slušný (cs)
Dutch: keurig (nl), goed (nl), net (nl), deugdelijk (nl)
Finnish: kunnollinen (fi), kelpo (fi), kunnon (fi)
French: convenable (fr), exact (fr), juste (fr), propre (fr)
Georgian: სათანადო (satanado), სწორი (sc̣ori), ჯეროვანი (ǯerovani), მართებული (martebuli), წესიერი (c̣esieri), ზრდილობიანი (zrdilobiani), თავაზიანი (tavaziani)
Italian: decente (it), proprio (it)
Japanese: きちんとした (kichintoshita), 品の良い (hin no yoi), 上品 (ja) (jōhin)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: پەسەند‎ (ku) (pesend)
Macedonian: умесен m (umesen), пристоен m (pristoen)
Norwegian: ordentlig, veloppdragent, høvisk
Plautdietsch: sitlich
Polish: właściwy (pl) m
Portuguese: apropriado (pt), decente (pt), certo (pt) m, certinho m
Romanian: cuviincios (ro), decent (ro)
Russian: пра́вильный (ru) (právilʹnyj)
Scottish Gaelic: iomchaidh
Slovene: spodoben (sl)
Spanish: conveniente (es), preciso (es)
Swedish: passande (sv)
Ukrainian: пра́вильний (uk) (právylʹnyj)

in the very strictest sense of the word

Czech: vlastní (cs) (precedes the noun)
Dutch: echt (nl), eigenlijk (nl), zelf (nl)
Finnish: varsinainen (fi)
French: propre (fr), proprement dit (fr)
Georgian: დამახასიათებელი (damaxasiatebeli), საკუთარი (saḳutari), ნიშანდობლივი (nišandoblivi), ჩვეული (čveuli)
German: eigentlich (de)
Hungarian: tényleges (hu)
Japanese: 厳密 (ja) (genmitsu)
Latin: stricto sensu
Macedonian: самиот (samiot)
Norwegian: egentlig (no)
Persian: خود‎ (fa) (xod)
Polish: właściwy (pl), jako taki
Portuguese: propriamente dito
Russian: са́мый (ru) (sámyj), как таково́й (kak takovój)
Swedish: egentlig (sv)

grammar: designating a particular person, place or thing

Bulgarian: собствен (bg) (sobstven)
Czech: vlastní (cs)
Dutch: eigen- (nl)
Finnish: erisnimi (fi) (proper noun)
Georgian: საკუთარი (saḳutari)
German: Eigenname (de) m (proper noun)
Hungarian: tulajdonnév (hu)
Japanese: 固有 (ja) (koyū)
Macedonian: личен m (ličen), сопствен m (sopstven)
Norwegian: riktig (no), korrekt (no)
Portuguese: próprio (pt)
Russian: со́бственный (ru) (sóbstvennyj)
Slovene: lasten (sl)
Swedish: egennamn (sv)

belonging to oneself or itself, own

Bulgarian: собствен (bg) (sobstven), свойствен (bg) (svojstven)
Czech: pravý (cs), vlastní (cs)
Dutch: eigen (nl)
Finnish: oikea (fi)
French: propre (fr)
German: eigen (de)
Hungarian: saját (hu)
Japanese: 元の (ja) (moto no), 本来の (ja) (honrai no), 固有の (ja) (koyū no), 特有の (ja) (tokuyū no), 独特の (ja) (dokutoku no)
Macedonian: свој m (svoj), сопствен m (sopstven)
Norwegian: egen (no)
Portuguese: próprio (pt)
Romanian: propriu (ro)
Russian: со́бственный (ru) (sóbstvennyj), прису́щий (ru) (prisúščij)
Slovene: lasten (sl)
Swedish: egen (sv)

complete, thorough

Czech: pořádný (cs) m
Dutch: grondig (nl)
Finnish: kelpo (fi)
German: richtig (de)
Japanese: 完全 (ja) (kanzen), 徹底した (tettei shita)
Macedonian: добар (dobar)
Norwegian: skikkelig (no), ordentlig
Portuguese: completo (pt)
Russian: по́лный (ru) (pólnyj)
Swedish: riktig (sv), äkta (sv)

entitled to its name, true

Bulgarian: правилен (bg) (pravilen)
Czech: pořádný (cs)
Dutch: echt (nl), degelijk (nl)
Finnish: oikea (fi), varsinainen (fi)
German: richtig (de)
Hungarian: rendes (hu)
Japanese: まとも (matomo)
Macedonian: правилен m (pravilen)
Norwegian: sann (no)
Slovene: pravi
Swedish: riktig (sv), äkta (sv)

heraldry: having its natural or usual coloration

Finnish: luonnonvärinen
Swedish: naturfärgad (sv)

informal: utter

Czech: pořádný (cs)
Dutch: volslagen (nl), compleet (nl)
Finnish: oikea (fi)
German: richtig (de)
Hungarian: tökéletes (hu)
Japanese: 全く (ja) (mattaku), 完全 (ja) (kanzen), 完璧 (ja) (kanpeki)
Macedonian: прав m (prav), вистински m (vistinski)
Portuguese: por completo
Russian: по́лный (ru) (pólnyj), кру́глый (ru) (krúglyj), настоя́щий (ru) (nastojáščij)
Swedish: riktig (sv), äkta (sv)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked‌: "right or correct"

Arabic: ^{(please verify)} مُنَاسِب‎ (munāsib)
French: ^{(please verify)} convenable (fr), ^{(please verify)} exact (fr), ^{(please verify)} juste (fr), ^{(please verify)} propre (fr)
Hebrew: ^{(please verify)} יאה‎ (he) (yaʾe), ^{(please verify)} נכון‎ (he) (naḥon)
Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} helyes (hu), ^{(please verify)} megfelelő (hu)
Italian: ^{(please verify)} decente (it), ^{(please verify)} proprio (it)
Korean: ^{(please verify)} 정당한 (jeongdanghan)
Kurdish:
Central Kurdish: ^{(please verify)} پەسەند‎ (ku) (pesend)
Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 恰当 (zh) (qiàdàng)
Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} riktig (no), ^{(please verify)} korrekt (no)
Spanish: ^{(please verify)} propio (es)
Swedish: ^{(please verify)} egentlig (sv)

Adverb

proper (not comparable)

(UK, Australia, colloquial) properly; thoroughly; completely.
- 1929, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, When the World Screamed‎:
  '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?
(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)

(obsolete) Something set apart for a special use.

Anagrams

per pro, propre

Catalan

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)

near, close
Synonym: pròxim
neighbouring
next
Synonym: següent

Synonyms

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

Related terms

prop

Danish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /proːbər/, [ˈpʰʁ̥oːˀb̥ɐ]

Adjective

proper

cleanly
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

Dutch

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)

(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.

German

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)

(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.
(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

Positive forms of proper

number & gender		singular			plural
number & gender		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist proper	sie ist proper	es ist proper	sie sind proper
strong declension (without article)	nominative	properer	propere	properes	propere
	genitive	properen	properer	properen	properer
	dative	properem	properer	properem	properen
	accusative	properen	propere	properes	propere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der propere	die propere	das propere	die properen
	genitive	des properen	der properen	des properen	der properen
	dative	dem properen	der properen	dem properen	den properen
	accusative	den properen	die propere	das propere	die properen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein properer	eine propere	ein properes	(keine) properen
	genitive	eines properen	einer properen	eines properen	(keiner) properen
	dative	einem properen	einer properen	einem properen	(keinen) properen
	accusative	einen properen	eine propere	ein properes	(keine) properen

Comparative forms of proper

number & gender		singular			plural
number & gender		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist properer	sie ist properer	es ist properer	sie sind properer
strong declension (without article)	nominative	propererer	properere	propereres	properere
	genitive	propereren	propererer	propereren	propererer
	dative	propererem	propererer	propererem	propereren
	accusative	propereren	properere	propereres	properere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der properere	die properere	das properere	die propereren
	genitive	des propereren	der propereren	des propereren	der propereren
	dative	dem propereren	der propereren	dem propereren	den propereren
	accusative	den propereren	die properere	das properere	die propereren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein propererer	eine properere	ein propereres	(keine) propereren
	genitive	eines propereren	einer propereren	eines propereren	(keiner) propereren
	dative	einem propereren	einer propereren	einem propereren	(keinen) propereren
	accusative	einen propereren	eine properere	ein propereres	(keine) propereren

Superlative forms of proper

number & gender		singular			plural
number & gender		masculine	feminine	neuter	all genders
predicative		er ist am propersten	sie ist am propersten	es ist am propersten	sie sind am propersten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	properster	properste	properstes	properste
	genitive	propersten	properster	propersten	properster
	dative	properstem	properster	properstem	propersten
	accusative	propersten	properste	properstes	properste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der properste	die properste	das properste	die propersten
	genitive	des propersten	der propersten	des propersten	der propersten
	dative	dem propersten	der propersten	dem propersten	den propersten
	accusative	den propersten	die properste	das properste	die propersten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein properster	eine properste	ein properstes	(keine) propersten
	genitive	eines propersten	einer propersten	eines propersten	(keiner) propersten
	dative	einem propersten	einer propersten	einem propersten	(keinen) propersten
	accusative	einen propersten	eine properste	ein properstes	(keine) propersten

Old French

Adjective

proper m (oblique and nominative feminine singular proper)

(rare) Alternative form of propre
Or a mai entendez Ki proper volunté amez, Set Pechez 70

Swedish

Adjective

proper (comparative proprare, superlative proprast)

neat, tidy
Synonym: välvårdad
proper (following (strict) established social standards)
en proper tillställning
a proper event

Declension

Inflection of proper
Indefinite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative²
Common singular	proper	proprare	proprast
Neuter singular	propert	proprare	proprast
Plural	propra	proprare	proprast
Masculine plural³	propre	proprare	proprast
Definite	Positive	Comparative	Superlative
Masculine singular¹	propre	proprare	propraste
All	propra	proprare	propraste
1) Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine. 2) The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative. 3) Dated or archaic

References

proper in Svensk ordbok (SO)
proper in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
proper in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

proper

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related terms

Translations

See also

Adverb

Noun

Anagrams

Catalan

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Synonyms

Related terms

Further reading

Danish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Inflection

Derived terms

References

Dutch

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Inflection

Synonyms

German

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Declension

Further reading

Old French

Adjective

Swedish

Adjective

Declension

References