propriety

propriety
/preuh pruy"i tee/, n., pl. proprieties.
1. conformity to established standards of good or proper behavior or manners.
2. appropriateness to the purpose or circumstances; suitability.
3. rightness or justness.
4. the proprieties, the conventional standards of proper behavior; manners: to observe the proprieties.
5. Obs. a property.
6. Obs. a peculiarity or characteristic of something.
[1425-75; late ME propriete ownership, something owned, one's own nature (cf. var. proprete PROPERTY) < MF propriété < L proprietas peculiarity, ownership, equiv. to propri(us) PROPER + -etas, var., after vowels, of -itas -ITY]
Syn. 1. decency, modesty. See etiquette. 2. aptness, fitness, seemliness. 3. correctness.

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  • Propriety — Pro*pri e*ty, n.; pl. {Proprieties}. [F. propri[ e]t[ e], L. proprietas, fr. proprius one s own, proper. See {Property}, {Proper}.] 1. Individual right to hold property; ownership by personal title; property. [Obs.] Onles this propriety be exiled …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • propriety — [n1] suitableness, appropriateness accordance, advisability, agreeableness, appositeness, aptness, becomingness, compatibility, concord, congruity, consonance, convenience, correctness, correspondence, decorum, ethicality, expedience, fitness,… …   New thesaurus

  • propriety — I (appropriateness) noun accordance, adaptation, admissibility, advisability, agreeableness, applicability, aptitude, aptness, becomingness, compatibility, conformity, congruity, consonance, correspondence, dueness, equity, expedience, expediency …   Law dictionary

  • propriety — mid 15c., proper character, disposition, from O.Fr. proprieté (12c.), from L. proprietatem (nom. proprietas) appropriateness, also ownership (see PROPERTY (Cf. property)). Meaning fitness, appropriateness is attested from 1610s; sense of… …   Etymology dictionary

  • propriety — *decorum, decency, etiquette, dignity Analogous words: grace, *elegance, dignity: *form, usage, convention, convenance …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • propriety — ► NOUN (pl. proprieties) 1) correctness of behaviour or morals. 2) appropriateness; rightness. 3) (proprieties) the details or rules of conventionally accepted behaviour. ORIGIN originally in the sense «peculiarity, essential quality»: from Latin …   English terms dictionary

  • propriety — [prə prī′ə tē, prōprī′ə tē] n. pl. proprieties [ME propriete < OFr proprieté: see PROPERTY] 1. the quality of being proper, fitting, or suitable; fitness 2. conformity with what is proper or fitting 3. conformity with accepted standards of… …   English World dictionary

  • propriety — pro|pri|e|ty [prəˈpraıəti] n formal [Date: 1500 1600; : French; Origin: propriété property, quality , from Latin proprietas; PROPERTY] 1.) [singular,U] correctness of social or moral behaviour ≠ ↑impropriety propriety of ▪ They discussed the… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • propriety — noun /prəˈpraɪɪti/ a) correctness in behaviour and morals Elinor then ventured to doubt the propriety of her receiving such a present from a man so little, or at least so lately known to her. b) fitness; the quality of being appropriate Now, if… …   Wiktionary

  • propriety — As used in Massachusetts colonial ordinance of 1741 term is nearly, if not precisely, equivalent to property. In old English law, property; propriety in action; propriety in possession; mixed propriety …   Black's law dictionary

  • propriety — n. conformity with accepted standards of behavior to doubt the propriety of smt. * * * [prə praɪətɪ] [ conformity with accepted standards of behavior ] to doubt the propriety of smt …   Combinatory dictionary

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