proper

A2 Topic:Space, Position & Direction

Also spelled propre

US /ˈpɹɔp.ə/ UK /ˈpɹɒp.ə(ɹ)/ See IPA manual

adj adv Freq #2004

Meanings

1

adj
Right, suitable, or correct for a particular situation.

Put everything back in its proper place.
2

adj
Real or genuine, having all the expected qualities.

Now that was a proper breakfast!
3

adv
Thoroughly or completely (informal).

The reporters were buzzing round proper after the story broke.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · right, suitable, or correct... right appropriate correct suitable

Word family

Derived forms nonproperpropernesspropertypseudopropersubpropersuperproperunproper

Related forms appropriate properly propriety

Common collocations

proper care Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Middle English propre, from Anglo-Norman proper, propre, Old French propre (French: propre), from Latin proprius.

*preyH- Proto-Indo-European propre Middle English proper xno proprius Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Space, Position & Direction Register & Style

# proper

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, adv
**IPA (US):** ˈpɹɔp.ə
**IPA (UK):** ˈpɹɒp.ə(ɹ)
**Frequency rank:** 2004

## Meanings
1. Right, suitable, or correct for a particular situation.
2. Real or genuine, having all the expected qualities.
3. Thoroughly or completely (informal).

## Examples
- Put everything back in its proper place.
- Now that was a proper breakfast!
- The reporters were buzzing round proper after the story broke.

## Derived Forms
- nonproper
- properness
- property
- pseudoproper
- subproper
- superproper
- unproper

## Related Forms
- appropriate
- properly
- propriety

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *preyH-
- Root: propre
- Root: proper
- Root: proprius

## Etymology
From Middle English propre, from Anglo-Norman proper, propre, Old French propre (French: propre), from Latin proprius.

## AI Etymology
Proper comes from Middle English propre, from Anglo-Norman proper, propre, Old French propre (French: propre), from Latin proprius. The historical chain includes *preyH- (Proto-Indo-European), propre (Middle English), proper (xno), propre (Old French), proprius (Latin). In present-day English it covers right, suitable, or correct for a particular situation, real or genuine, having all the expected qualities, and thoroughly or completely (informal). The wider family includes derived forms such as nonproper, properness, property, pseudoproper, subproper and related forms such as appropriate, properly, propriety.

## Topics
- Space, Position & Direction
- Register & Style

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proper

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