IMPROPER

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does improper mean? 

• IMPROPER (adjective)
  The adjective IMPROPER has 3 senses:

1. not suitable or right or appropriate

2. not conforming to legality, moral law, or social convention

3. not appropriate for a purpose or occasion

  Familiarity information: IMPROPER used as an adjective is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMPROPER (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Not suitable or right or appropriate

Context example:

improper attire for the golf course

Similar:

indecent; indecorous; unbecoming; uncomely; unseemly; untoward (not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society)

out-of-the-way; out of the way (improper or even offensive)

incorrect; wrong (not in accord with established usage or procedure)

Also:

inappropriate (not suitable for a particular occasion etc)

indecent (offensive to good taste especially in sexual matters)

indecorous; indelicate (lacking propriety and good taste in manners and conduct)

unfit (below the required standards for a purpose)

wrong (contrary to conscience or morality or law)

Attribute:

correctitude; properness; propriety (correct or appropriate behavior)

Antonym:

proper (marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness)

Derivation:

improperness (an improper demeanor)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Not conforming to legality, moral law, or social convention

Synonyms:

improper; unconventional; unlawful

Context example:

improper banking practices

Similar:

irregular (contrary to rule or accepted order or general practice)

Derivation:

improperness (an improper demeanor)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Not appropriate for a purpose or occasion

Synonyms:

improper; wrong

Context example:

said all the wrong things

Similar:

inappropriate (not suitable for a particular occasion etc)

Derivation:

improperness (an improper demeanor)

 Context examples 

And away went Meg to help 'that man' in his highly improper employment.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

She was persuaded to believe the engagement a wrong thing: indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

I would not, upon any account in the world, do so improper a thing.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

The result is an improper salt balance in the cells and thick, sticky mucus.

(Diagnosing cystic fibrosis with wearable devices, NIH)

A problem that results from improper sequencing or activation of electronic components.

(Device Hardware Timing Problem Evaluation Result, Food and Drug Administration)

“Never in my life have I been placed in such a situation. It is most improper—most outrageous. I must insist upon some explanation.”

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Failure of the ephrins/Eph kinase pathway to function normally in platelets may result in loosely associated platelets and improper clot formation.

(Platelet Aggregation Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

An inherited or acquired dental abnormality characterized by improper alignment of the teeth.

(Malocclusion, NCI Thesaurus)

Device problems that result from improper routine or preventative maintenance.

(Device Maintenance Deficiency Evaluation Conclusion, Food and Drug Administration)

“Do not act anything improper, my dear,” said Lady Bertram.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)