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PROPER
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I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Appropriate for a condition or purpose or occasion or a person's character, needs
Example:
she is not suitable for the position
Synonyms:
proper; right
Classified under:
Similar:
appropriate (suitable for a particular person or place or condition etc)
Derivation:
properness (correct or appropriate behavior)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Limited to the thing specified
Example:
his claim is connected with the deed proper
Classified under:
Similar:
specific ((sometimes followed by 'to') applying to or characterized by or distinguishing something particular or special or unique)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
Example:
proper manners
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
becoming; comely; comme il faut; decorous; seemly (according with custom or propriety)
correct; right (socially right or correct)
correct; right (in accord with accepted standards of usage or procedure)
decent; fitting (in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion)
halal; kosher (proper or legitimate)
priggish; prim; prissy; prudish; puritanical; square-toed; straight-laced; straightlaced; strait-laced; straitlaced; tight-laced; victorian (exaggeratedly proper)
Also:
appropriate (suitable for a particular person or place or condition etc)
correct; right (free from error; especially conforming to fact or truth)
decent (conforming to conventions of sexual behavior)
decorous (characterized by propriety and dignity and good taste in manners and conduct)
right (in conformance with justice or law or morality)
Attribute:
correctitude; properness; propriety (correct or appropriate behavior)
Antonym:
improper (not suitable or right or appropriate)
Derivation:
properness (correct or appropriate behavior)
Sense 4
Meaning:
Having all the qualities typical of the thing specified
Example:
he finally has a proper job
Classified under:
Adjectives
Similar:
real (no less than what is stated; worthy of the name)
Context examples:
Some species approach the flower from above while others do so from the side or at different times of day and frequencies—of all which rounds out proper seed production and fruit development.
(Diverse Bee Communities Best for Apple Orchards, U.S. Department of Agriculture)
For the men in green: it was a proper moonlight evening for them.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
Verifying that the device packaging met proper sterilization conditions and that the effectiveness of the packaging kept the device free viable microorganisms.
(Device Packaging Verification Evaluation Method, Food and Drug Administration)
It should have been in its proper place in the rack.
(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)
A person who determines the proper radiation dose for treatment.
(Dosimetrist, NCI Dictionary)
Any material present in a pharmaceutical excipient that is not the main chemical component or components, and is necessary for the excipient's proper performance during use.
(Essential Minor Component of Pharmaceutical Excipient, NCI Thesaurus)
Unlike anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants work by restoring the proper function of brain chemicals called neurotransmitters.
(Anti-inflammatory Drugs Also Fight Depression, Voanews)
Proper machine inspection and maintenance can help prevent accidents.
(Farm Health and Safety, Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
The new findings change the way scientists have thought about the process by which the body achieves water homeostasis — maintaining a proper amount and balance.
(Salty Diet Makes You Hungry, Not Thirsty, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)
I'll keep you in your proper place.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
