From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishproperprop‧er1 /ˈprɒpə $ ˈprɑːpər/ ●●● S1 W2 adjective 1 [only before noun]RIGHT/PROPER right, suitable, or correct Everything was in its proper place (=where it should be). the proper way to clean your teeth The proper name for Matthew’s condition is hyperkinetic syndrome.► see thesaurus at suitable2 RIGHT/PROPERsocially or legally correct and acceptable OPP improperit is proper (for somebody) to do something I don’t feel that it would be proper for me to give you that information. It is only right and proper that an independent inquiry should take place.3 [only before noun] British English spokenREAL/NOT FALSE OR ARTIFICIAL real, or of a good and generally accepted standard SYN decent, real American English When are you going to settle down and get a proper job? Try to eat proper meals instead of fast-food takeaways.4 [only after noun]EXACT the real or main part of something, not other parts before, after, or near to it The friendly chat which comes before the interview proper is intended to relax the candidate. the city centre proper5 → proper to something6 [only before noun] British English spokenCOMPLETELY complete SYN real He’s made a proper fool of himself this time!7 POLITEvery polite, and careful to do what is socially correct She was very formal and proper. → properly
Examples from the Corpus
proper• It's the main road which links Santa Cruz proper and the mountains.• Higher math skills are not given proper attention in schools.• Hence, it is difficult to know when the proper consecutive item will appear.• You can't climb a mountain without the proper equipment.• We don't have a proper guest room, but you can have the sofa in the study.• When are you going to get a proper job?• So, this firm might be able to come up with the proper lens.• Ultimately this is a question as to the proper limits of self-determination, as well as turning on the specific lucidity of the individual patient.• Push him down the proper path.• Accounts by military and civilian air-traffic officials agreed the commercial airliner had received proper permission to traverse the zone.• We will stop the wanton sale of school playing fields and ensure that sport takes its proper place within the curriculum.• We need to put the books back in their proper place.• Not a menstrual period in the proper sense.• It just wouldn't have been proper to not invite Jeff.• I can't make the repairs without the proper tools or materials.• With proper training, most people can learn leadership skills.• But, frankly, she wasn't a woman any more, not a proper woman.• Bill is a very proper young man.proper name for• Now then, the proper name for it is the Bureaucratic Spatio-Temporal Effect, but we call it Bureauspace for short.• A proper name is no less a proper name for possessing a descriptive content.• Other groups of plants require a thorough revision before we can be sure of the proper name for the species.proper job• It hasn't given people proper jobs.• Just because she's never had a proper job.• Now he writes computer software for the National Blind League but needs a proper job.• Establish proper job descriptions for low-level supervisors at the plant, and link compensation to performance for frontline supervisors.• It is often the proper job of authorities to issue directives for this purpose.• Other men's wives did proper jobs once the children were off their hands.• I don't have a proper job so I don't earn much money.• It was all something to do with their thinking he didn't have a proper job, so they said.properproper2 adverb British English spoken 1 → good and proper2 RIGHT/PROPERused by some people to mean properly, although most people think that this is incorrectExamples from the Corpus
proper• The machine operators had not been properly trained.Origin proper (1200-1300) Old French propre, from Latin proprius “own” 