Word
propriety
Phoneticspro·pri·ety
US/pɹəˈpɹaɪəti/
UK/pɹəpɹˈaɪəti/
Definitions
01correct behaviour
n. behaving in a way that is socially correct, polite, and honest.
n. conformity to conventionally accepted standards of behaviour or morals. Often used in the plural to refer to specific rules of etiquette.
“The young man behaved with great propriety during the formal dinner.”
“The committee questioned the propriety of the chairman's involvement in the contract negotiations, citing a potential conflict of interest.”
Formal
Usage
Commonly used in the singular to describe a general quality or in the plural ('the proprieties') to describe social rules.
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Antonyms
02suitability
n. the quality of being right or suitable for a particular situation.
n. the state or quality of being appropriate, fitting, or suitable for a specific purpose or context.
“Some people doubted the propriety of building a factory so close to the school.”
“The architect defended the propriety of the design, arguing that the modern materials were perfectly suited to the historic surroundings.”
Formal
Teaching tip
In modern English, this sense is less common than the 'correct behaviour' sense; 'appropriateness' is usually preferred in casual contexts.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03ownership
n. the state of owning something, or the right to own it.
n. the condition of being a proprietor; the right of possession or ownership.
“The documents proved his propriety over the family estate.”
“Legal scholars debated the nature of propriety in land tenure systems before the industrial revolution.”
Archaic · Technical
Usage
Rarely used in modern general English; 'property' or 'ownership' are the standard terms.
Teaching tip
This sense is largely historical or restricted to specific legal discussions regarding the history of land rights.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“But what makes the lawn tantrum intolerable is that the Victorian sense of propriety relied on tightly managed bodies, disciplined masculinity, and a strict division between private interior and public display.” “He also tightened the rules so that serving ministers had to consider "the need to maintain the public's confidence in the standard of propriety" when accepting gifts.” Etymology
From late Middle English proprietee, propretee, propriete (“ownership”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman propreté, Middle French proprieté, from Latin proprietās. By surface analysis, prop(e)r + -iety. Doublet of property.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/propriety