propriety

English

Etymology

Coined between 1425 and 1475 from late Middle English propriete (“ownership”), from Middle French proprieté, from Latin proprietās

Pronunciation

• IPA: /prəˈpraɪɪti/
• Rhymes: -aɪɪti

Noun

propriety (plural proprieties)

1. correctness in behaviour and morals
   • 1811, Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, Chapter 12

     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.

2. fitness; the quality of being appropriate
   • 1850, Edward Ralph May, "Speech on African American Suffrage"

     Now, if we may, with propriety, refer to the people one question, why may we not, with equal propriety, refer another?

Translations

correctness in behaviour and morals

Catalan: propietat (ca) f. Danish: sømmelighed (da) French: correction (fr) f. Macedonian: пристојност (mk) (prístojnost) f., умесност (mk) (úmesnost) f.

Romanian: cuviință (ro) Russian: пристойность (ru) f. Spanish: propiedad (es)

fitness; the quality of being appropriate

Catalan: propietat (ca) f. Danish: rigtighed (da), ordentlighed (da) French: décence (fr) f. Macedonian: прикладност (mk) (príkladnost) f., умесност (mk) (úmesnost) f.

Russian: уместность f., правильность f. Spanish: propriedad (es)

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Translations to be checked

German: Schicklichkeit f. (1)

Related terms

• proper