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   Prop·er

   /ˈpräpər/

   

   adjective

   • 1. truly what something is said or regarded to be; genuine: British "she's never had a proper job" Similar realgenuineactualtruebona fideinformal:kosher
   • ▪ strictly so called; in its true form: "some of the dos and don'ts in espionage proper"
   • ▪ used as an intensifier, especially in derogatory contexts: informal "she looked like a proper harlot" Similar completeabsoluterealperfecttotalthoroughthoroughgoingutterout-and-outpositiveunmitigatedconsummateinformal:rightfairarchaic:arrant
   • 2. of the required type; suitable or appropriate: "an artist needs the proper tools" Similar rightcorrectacceptedorthodoxconventionalestablishedofficialformalregularacceptableappropriatesuitablefittingaptduede règlearchaic:meetOpposite inappropriatewrong
   • ▪ according to or respecting recognized social standards or conventions; respectable, especially excessively so: "her parents' view of what was proper for a well-bred girl" Similar respectabledecorousseemlydecentrefinedladylikegentlemanlygenteelformalconventionalcorrectorthodoxpolitepunctilioussedatemodestdemurevirtuousbecomingbefittingfitdonecomme il fautOpposite improperunconventional
   • 3. belonging or relating exclusively or distinctively to; particular to: "the two elephant types proper to Africa and to southern Asia" Similar belongingrelatingpertainingrelatedrelevantuniquepeculiarassociated with
   • ▪ (of a psalm, lesson, prayer, etc.) appointed for a particular day, occasion, or season.
   • ▪ belonging to oneself or itself; own: archaic "to judge with my proper eyes"
   • 4. in the natural colors.
   • 5. (of a person) good-looking: archaic, dialect "he is a proper youth!"
   • 6. denoting a subset or subgroup that does not constitute the entire set or group, especially one that has more than one element.

   adverb

   • 1. satisfactorily or correctly: informal, dialect British "my eyes were all blurry and I couldn't see proper"
   • ▪ thoroughly: informal, dialect British "I had been fooled good and proper"

   noun

   • 1. the part of a church service that varies with the season or festival: "we go to the High Mass, with plainsong propers sung by the Ritual Choir"

   Word Origin Middle English: from Old French propre, from Latin proprius ‘one's own, special’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. properness noun

   Scrabble Points: 10

   • P

     3

   • R

     1

   • O

     1

   • P

     3

   • E

     1

   • R

     1

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