proper

[prop-er] /ˈprɒp ər/
adjective
1.
adapted or appropriate to the purpose or circumstances; fit; suitable:
the proper time to plant strawberries.
2.
conforming to established standards of behavior or manners; correct or decorous:
a very proper young man.
3.
fitting; right:
It was only proper to bring a gift.
4.
strictly belonging or applicable:
the proper place for a stove.
5.
belonging or pertaining exclusively or distinctly to a person, thing, or group.
6.
strict; accurate.
7.
in the strict sense of the word (usually used postpositively):
Shellfish do not belong to the fishes proper. Is the school within Boston proper or in the suburbs?
8.
Grammar.
  1. (of a name, noun, or adjective) designating a particular person or thing and written in English with an initial capital letter, as Joan, Chicago, Monday, American.
  2. having the force or function of a proper name:
    a proper adjective.
9.
normal or regular.
10.
belonging to oneself or itself; own.
11.
Chiefly British Informal. complete or thorough:
a proper thrashing.
12.
Ecclesiastical. used only on a particular day or festival:
the proper introit.
13.
Heraldry. (of a device) depicted in its natural colors:
an oak tree proper.
14.
Informal.
  1. excellent; capital; fine.
  2. good-looking or handsome.
15.
Mathematics. (of a subset of a set) not equal to the whole set.
16.
Archaic. of good character; respectable.
adverb
17.
Informal. thoroughly; completely.
noun
18.
Ecclesiastical. a special office or special parts of an office appointed for a particular day or time.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English propre < Old French < Latin proprius one's own
Related forms
properly, adverb
properness, noun
unproper, adjective
unproperly, adverb
Synonyms
1. suited. 2, 3. meet, befitting, becoming, decent, polite. 5. special, individual, peculiar. 6. precise, exact, just, formal.
Examples from the web for proper
  • It occupies the uneasy ground between the novella proper and the personal essay or confession.
  • To fix a broken financial system and to oversee its proper functioning in the future you need experts.
  • University presidents often complain that academe has lost its sense of proper protocol.
  • Such findings as these could dramatically reduce the guesswork involved, thereby leading to the proper prescription from day one.
  • But after the exhibition closed, he repainted the dropped strap, putting it back into its proper place.
  • Chickens need coops, proper feed, and years of care.
  • As early adopters, the opportunity to define proper etiquette is ours.
  • Students don't do proper citations because they've never been taught.
  • They also complain that the law lacks proper funding.
  • On these sites tourists are well informed of proper conduct, though educational signage could be improved.
British Dictionary definitions for proper

proper

/ˈprɒpə/
adjective
1.
(usually prenominal) appropriate or suited for some purpose: in its proper place
2.
correct in behaviour or conduct
3.
excessively correct in conduct; vigorously moral
4.
up to a required or regular standard
5.
(immediately postpositive) (of an object, quality, etc) referred to or named specifically so as to exclude anything not directly connected with it: his claim is connected with the deed proper
6.
(postpositive) foll by to. belonging to or characteristic of a person or thing
7.
(prenominal) (Brit, informal) (intensifier): I felt a proper fool
8.
(usually postpositive) (of heraldic colours) considered correct for the natural colour of the object or emblem depicted: three martlets proper
9.
(maths, logic) (of a relation) distinguished from a weaker relation by excluding the case where the relata are identical. For example, every set is a subset of itself, but a proper subset must exclude at least one member of the containing set See also strict (sense 6)
10.
(archaic) pleasant or good
adverb
11.
(Brit, dialect) (intensifier): he's proper stupid
12.
(informal) good and proper, thoroughly: to get drunk good and proper
noun
13.
the parts of the Mass that vary according to the particular day or feast on which the Mass is celebrated Compare ordinary (sense 10)
Derived Forms
properly, adverb
properness, noun
Word Origin
C13: via Old French from Latin prōprius special
Word Origin and History for proper
adj.

c.1300, "adapted to some purpose, fit, apt; commendable, excellent" (sometimes ironic), from Old French propre "own, particular; exact, neat, fitting, appropriate" (11c.), from Latin proprius "one's own, particular to itself," from pro privo "for the individual, in particular," from ablative of privus "one's own, individual" (see private (adj.)) + pro "for" (see pro-). Related: Properly.

From early 14c. as "belonging or pertaining to oneself; individual; intrinsic;" from mid-14c. as "pertaining to a person or thing in particular, special, specific; distinctive, characteristic;" also "what is by the rules, correct, appropriate, acceptable." From early 15c. as "separate, distinct; itself." Meaning "socially appropriate, decent, respectable" is first recorded 1704. Proper name "name belonging to or relating to the person or thing in question," is from late 13c., a sense also preserved in astronomical proper motion (c.1300). Proper noun is from c.1500.