improper

B1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɪmˈpɹɔp.ə/ UK /ɪmˈpɹɒp.ə/ See IPA manual

Freq #16729

Meanings

1

adj
Not suitable, right, or correct for the situation.

It would be improper to wear jeans to a formal wedding.
2

adj
Not following good manners or accepted standards of behaviour.

The official lost his job for improper conduct.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not suitable, right, or... wrong

2 adj · not following good manners... unconventional

More unproper

Word family

Derived forms improperness

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

improper fraction
a fraction whose numerator is at least as large as its denominator

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English empropren, perhaps from an unattested Anglo-Norman variant enproprier of Anglo-Norman apropr(i)er, approprier, related to modern French approprier.

empropren Middle English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Register & Style

External links

# improper

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ɪmˈpɹɔp.ə/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪmˈpɹɒp.ə/
**Frequency rank:** 16729

## Meanings
1. Not suitable, right, or correct for the situation.
2. Not following good manners or accepted standards of behaviour.

## Examples
- It would be improper to wear jeans to a formal wedding.
- The official lost his job for improper conduct.

## Synonyms
- unproper

## Derived Forms
- improperness

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: empropren

## Etymology
From Middle English empropren, perhaps from an unattested Anglo-Norman variant enproprier of Anglo-Norman apropr(i)er, approprier, related to modern French approprier.

## AI Etymology
Improper comes from Middle English empropren, perhaps from an unattested Anglo-Norman variant enproprier of Anglo-Norman apropr(i)er, approprier, related to modern French approprier. In current use, the main senses are “Not suitable, right, or correct for the situation” and “Not following good manners or accepted standards of behaviour”.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Register & Style

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