1
as in polite
following the established traditions of refined society and good taste
the formal ball called for proper attire—tuxedos and full-length gowns only
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in correct
being in agreement with the truth or a fact or a standard
there is really more than one proper way to pronounce that word in English
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in formal
marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details
we had nodded and said hello to one another but had never had a proper introduction
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in appropriate
meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation
you'll need to have a proper diet if you want to lose weight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in distinguishing
serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group
malaria and other diseases that are proper to the tropics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of proper
Contrary to the previous notions about our youth, their inherent power and unidentified skillsets could put them in a position to change their own lives, with the proper guidance.
—
Essence, 24 Oct. 2025
The Chicago Fire and Portland Timbers secured their places in the playoff field proper with wild-card wins at home Wednesday night, setting up matchups against their conferences’ respective top seeds, the Philadelphia Union and San Diego FC.
—Avi Creditor, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Critics, meanwhile, contend the president bypassed the proper review process.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The disease is often mistaken for other conditions, which can delay proper treatment.
—Holly Burns, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proper
Essence, 24 Oct. 2025
The Chicago Fire and Portland Timbers secured their places in the playoff field proper with wild-card wins at home Wednesday night, setting up matchups against their conferences’ respective top seeds, the Philadelphia Union and San Diego FC.
—Avi Creditor, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2025
Critics, meanwhile, contend the president bypassed the proper review process.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2025
The disease is often mistaken for other conditions, which can delay proper treatment.
—Holly Burns, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for proper
Recent Examples of Synonyms for proper
Adjective
-
The 2025 study showed that when users dropped the polite fluff and went straight to the point, ChatGPT's accuracy ticked upward.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Oct. 2025
-
And while offering to help clean up is polite, Jokilehto says there’s a right way to do it.—
Alesandra Dubin,
Southern Living,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The pool of possible questions was raised to 128, and the requirement for correct answers raised to 12 out of 20 asked.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Most restaurants correct violations at the time of the original inspection or shortly after.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home spanned about 3,800 square feet, with wood-burning fireplaces gracing the formal living and dining rooms on the main floor.—
Katie Schultz,
Architectural Digest,
23 Oct. 2025
-
Reason for Wausau's closure isn't clear In the letter, a formal notification that complies with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, Wausau's group vice president of the snow and ice division, JP Bourque, did not indicate the reason for the company's closure.—
Jim Riccioli,
jsonline.com,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Many times, the needs of the homeless are not just heating or cooling, but there may be medical/dental issues, food or appropriate clothing needs as well.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Overall, the sound quality is comparable to that of a basic Bluetooth speaker—more than satisfactory for an AIO PC.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
15 Oct. 2025
-
According to a poll conducted by the company, eight out of 10 users were happy with the experience, while another one in five described it as satisfactory.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Many experts donated years of their time and decades of expertise to help me make these depictions as rich and accurate as possible.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Oct. 2025
-
These projections have been fairly accurate over the past decade, with sportsbooks predicting the East’s total number of regular season wins within single digits six times.—
Lev Akabas,
Sportico.com,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
With that in mind, his glowing comments on Jeter paid a nice tribute.—
Peter Chawaga,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Oct. 2025
-
In her opinion, a courthouse wedding or a small ceremony in a family member's backyard would have been just as nice, Kate said.—
Rachel Raposas,
PEOPLE,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
This breakthrough could lead to the development of more reliable, next-generation sensors suitable for applications ranging from medical monitoring to energy storage systems.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Less suitable is the club’s goalkeeping.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
26 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Proper.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/proper. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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