improper

English

Alternative forms

• impropre (obsolete)

Etymology 1

From Middle French impropre, from Latin improprius (“not proper”), from in- + proprius (“proper”). By surface analysis, im- +‎ proper.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɹɒp.ə/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɹɔp.ə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪmˈpɹɑ.pɚ/

  • Audio (General American):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒpə(ɹ)

Adjective

improper (comparative more improper, superlative most improper)

1. Unsuitable to needs or circumstances; inappropriate; inapt.
2. Not in keeping with conventional mores or good manners; indecent or immodest.

   improper conduct

3. Not according to facts; inaccurate or erroneous.
4. Not consistent with established facts; incorrect.
5. Not properly named; See, for example, improper fraction.
6. (obsolete) Not specific or appropriate to individuals; general; common.
   • 1608, John Fletcher, The Faithful Shepherdess:

     Not to be adorned with any art but such improper ones as nature is said to bestow, as singing and poetry.

7. (mathematics) Of a complex random variable, correlated with its conjugate.

Synonyms

• unproper (obsolete or rare)

Derived terms

• improper divisor
• improper face
• improper fit
• improper fraction
• improper integral
• improper motion
• improperness
• improper node
• improper noun
• improper orthogonal transformation
• improper rotation
• improper time
• improper use
• improper workmanship

Translations

unsuitable to needs or circumstances

• Basque: ezegoki
• Bulgarian: неподходящ (bg) (nepodhodjašt), неуместен (bg) (neumesten)
• Catalan: impropi
• Dutch: ongepast (nl)
• Finnish: sopimaton (fi)
• French: impropre (fr), inapproprié (fr), inadapté (fr)
• German: unpassend (de)
• Greek: ακατάλληλος (el) (akatállilos)
• Hindi: अनुचित (hi) (anucit)
• Japanese: そぐわない (soguwanai), 不適切な (ja) (futekisetsu na)
• Latin: improprius
• Norwegian: upassende (no), uegnet
• Portuguese: impróprio (pt)
• Romanian: impropriu (ro)
• Russian: неуме́стный (ru) (neuméstnyj), неподходя́щий (ru) (nepodxodjáščij), ненадлежа́щий (ru) (nenadležáščij)
• Slovak: nevhodný
• Slovene: neprimeren
• Tagalog: di-angkop
• Turkish: uygunsuz (tr)
• Ukrainian: ненале́жний (nenaléžnyj), невідпові́дний (nevidpovídnyj)

not in keeping with conventional mores or good manners

• Armenian: անպիտան (hy) (anpitan), անվայել (hy) (anvayel)
• Bulgarian: неприличен (bg) (nepriličen), непристоен (bg) (nepristoen)
• Catalan: impropi
• Danish: upassende, uanstændig
• Dutch: ongeschikt (nl), misplaatst (nl)
• Finnish: säädytön (fi), sopimaton (fi)
• French: impropre (fr), inconvenant (fr), grossier (fr)
• German: unhöflich (de)
• Greek: ανάρμοστος (el) (anármostos)
• Hindi: अशोभनीय (aśobhnīya)
• Irish: aindílis
• Latin: indecens
• Norwegian: upassende (no), uanstendig (no)
• Portuguese: impróprio (pt), indecente (pt), indecoroso (pt)
• Russian: непристо́йный (ru) (nepristójnyj), неприли́чный (ru) (neprilíčnyj), некорре́ктный (ru) (nekorréktnyj)
• Sanskrit: अकार्य (sa) (akārya)
• Slovak: nevhodný
• Spanish: improprio (es) m (disused), impropio (es)
• Tagalog: di-angkap
• Turkish: uygunsuz (tr), yakışıksız (tr)
• Ukrainian: непристо́йний (neprystójnyj), некоре́ктний (nekoréktnyj)

Not according to facts

• Bulgarian: неточен (bg) (netočen), неправилен (bg) (nepravilen)
• Dutch: onjuist (nl), foutief (nl)
• Finnish: väärä (fi)
• Norwegian: uriktig, feilaktig, urettmessig (no)
• Portuguese: impróprio (pt), incorreto (pt)
• Russian: непра́вильный (ru) (neprávilʹnyj), оши́бочный (ru) (ošíbočnyj), ло́жный (ru) (lóžnyj)
• Slovak: nesprávny
• Turkish: yanlış (tr)

Not consistent with established facts

• Dutch: inconsistent (nl), foutief (nl)
• Norwegian: uriktig
• Portuguese: impróprio (pt), incorreto (pt)
• Russian: непра́вильный (ru) (neprávilʹnyj)
• Slovak: nesprávny

Not properly named

• Catalan: impropi
• Dutch: verkeerd omschreven
• French: impropre (fr)
• Japanese: そぐわない (soguwanai), 不適切な (ja) (futekisetsu na)
• Norwegian: feilaktig
• Portuguese: impróprio (pt)

Etymology 2

From Middle English empropren, perhaps from an unattested Anglo-Norman variant enproprier of Anglo-Norman apropr(i)er, approprier, related to modern French approprier.

Verb

improper (third-person singular simple present impropers, present participle impropering, simple past and past participle impropered)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To appropriate; to assign (something, to someone) as a possession or prerogative.
   • 1565, John Jewel, letter to Thomas Harding:

     He would in like manner improper and inclose the sunbeams to comfort the rich and not the poor.

   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:improper.

Anagrams

• impropre