improperly
adv.in a way that is not correct, honest, or suitable for a situation. You use this when someone does something the wrong way or breaks a rule.
adv.in a manner that is incorrect, unsuitable, or dishonest. Often describes actions that violate formal procedures, social norms, or technical requirements.
“The machine broke because it was used improperly.”
“The committee found that the funds had been handled improperly, leading to a full investigation of the department's finances.”
“If the evidence is collected improperly by the authorities, the judge may rule it inadmissible during the trial, regardless of its potential relevance to the case.”
Typically follows the verb or the direct object it modifies.
Learners often use the adjective 'improper' when the adverbial form 'improperly' is required to modify a verb.
“Besançon said millions of euros in research funds were “thrown out the window” due to the poor research practices at the IHU, and many students were improperly trained in scientific practices.”
“The president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and argued that the judge who oversaw the civil trial improperly allowed evidence to be presented that affected the jury's perceptions of him.”
From Middle English improprelich, impropreliche, impropurly, inproperlye; equivalent to improper + -ly or im- + properly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.