propriety (prəˈpraɪətɪ
)
Definitions
noun
- the quality or state of being appropriate or fitting
- conformity to the prevailing standard of behaviour, speech, etc
- See the proprieties
Word Origin
C15: from Old French propriété, from Latin proprietās a peculiarity, from proprius one's ownSynonyms
View thesaurus entry=
decorum,
manners,
courtesy,
protocol,
good form
decency,
breeding,
delicacy,
modesty,
respectability,
etiquette,
refinement,
politeness,
good manners,
rectitude,
punctilio,
seemliness,
Usage examples
Here, there was an air of sedate prosperity, speaking of a prim propriety that made Petra's Berliner soul feel stifled.
, THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)The report peels yet another layer off the facade of Dasgupta's professions of propriety.
India Today (1997)Red-hot sentences tear through the propriety of the rest of the book.
Globe and Mail (2003)That will appoint the crossbenchers, but simply vet the nominated members for " propriety ".
Times, Sunday Times (2001)I despised everything belonging to my sex, hardly excluding modesty and propriety.
, CHRISTINA QUEEN OF SWEDEN: The Restless Life of a European Eccentric (2004)