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View synonyms for propriety

propriety

[ pruh-prahy-i-tee ]

noun

, plural pro·pri·e·ties.
  1. conformity to established standards of good or proper behavior or manners.

    Synonyms: modesty, decency

  2. appropriateness to the purpose or circumstances; suitability.

    Synonyms: seemliness, aptness, fitness

  3. rightness or justness.

    Synonyms: correctness

  4. the proprieties, the conventional standards of proper behavior; manners:

    to observe the proprieties.

  5. Obsolete. a property.
  6. Obsolete. a peculiarity or characteristic of something.


propriety

/ prəˈpraɪətɪ /

noun

  1. the quality or state of being appropriate or fitting
  2. conformity to the prevailing standard of behaviour, speech, etc
  3. the proprieties
    plural the standards of behaviour considered correct by polite society
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Other Words From

  • nonpro·prie·ty noun plural nonproprieties
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Word History and Origins

Origin of propriety1

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English propriete “ownership, something owned, one's own nature” (compare variant proprete property ), from Middle French propriété, from Latin proprietāt-, stem of proprietās “peculiarity, ownership,” equivalent to propri(us) proper + -etās, variant, after vowels, of -itās -ity
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Word History and Origins

Origin of propriety1

C15: from Old French propriété, from Latin proprietās a peculiarity, from proprius one's own
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Synonym Study

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Example Sentences

Then they stacked those pancakes together and connected them with propriety joints, creating a 10-ton, eight-foot-tall, D-shaped supermagnet, packed with 165 miles of superconducting tape coiled around 256 times.

He put officers in uniforms, he stressed safety and efficiency, and he preached the twin virtues of public safety and police propriety.

No other part or the propriety of the transaction itself is even in question.

In an interview this week, Egeland strongly defended the propriety of delivering aid to unwholesome parts of northern Syria.

Presidents and potential presidents have often been accused of crossing some line of propriety.

The Weather Underground, while we certainly crossed lines of propriety and legality, we never killed or injured anybody.

But for the conservatives, and for Scalia most of all, legal propriety is absurdly quaint.

Walking up to the edge of propriety and stepping over the line are all a rite of passage to self-definition.

They shall plan how this may be done with due propriety, and shall advise us of their action.

I do it, persuaded of the propriety of the step, and satisfied that all will go well with him yet.

Further questions respecting her family, &c., were answered with equal directness and propriety, and with manifest truth.

Without having represented to your husband the propriety of first consulting his father, on whom he is dependent, I think?

Whatever argument can be employed to establish the propriety of engaging vocally in any religious service is here available.

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