proper
/ˈprɑpər/
adjective
- Correct, suitable, or appropriate for a particular situation or purpose.
- Make sure you wear proper shoes for hiking, not sandals.
- It's not proper to interrupt someone while they are speaking.
- The mechanic used the proper tools to fix the engine.
- Socially acceptable or following the rules of polite behavior.
- In some cultures, it is proper to bow when greeting someone.
- She always uses proper table manners at dinner.
- His parents taught him proper conduct in public.
- Real or genuine; complete in the usual sense.
- The garden needs proper care to grow well.
- After years of practice, he finally became a proper musician.
- We need a proper meal, not just snacks.
- Belonging to or connected with the main thing being discussed (often used after a noun).
- The city proper has a population of 500,000, not counting the suburbs.
- The story proper begins in chapter two.
- The argument proper was about money, not about trust.
Synonyms
adverb
- In a correct or satisfactory way (informal, especially British English).
- Make sure you lock the door proper when you leave.
- You need to clean your room proper before guests arrive.
- He didn't do the job proper, so we had to redo it.