PROPER Synonyms: 218 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'proper' differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of proper are appropriate , apt , felicitous , fitting , fit , happy , meet , and suitable . While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom. // proper acknowledgement

Q: When would 'appropriate' be a good substitute for 'proper'?

Although the words appropriate and proper have much in common, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness. // an appropriate gift

Q: When can 'apt' be used instead of 'proper'?

The meanings of apt and proper largely overlap; however, apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination. // apt quotations

Q: When is it sensible to use 'felicitous' instead of 'proper'?

While in some cases nearly identical to proper , felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful. // a felicitous phrase

Q: When is 'fit' a more appropriate choice than 'proper'?

In some situations, the words fit and proper are roughly equivalent. However, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action. // fit for battle

Q: When might 'fitting' be a better fit than 'proper'?

The words fitting and proper can be used in similar contexts, but fitting implies harmony of mood or tone. // a fitting end

Q: In what contexts can 'happy' take the place of 'proper'?

The words happy and proper are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate. // a happy choice of words

Q: When could 'meet' be used to replace 'proper'?

The synonyms meet and proper are sometimes interchangeable, but meet suggests a just proportioning. // meet payment

Q: Where would 'suitable' be a reasonable alternative to 'proper'?

While the synonyms suitable and proper are close in meaning, suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands. // clothes suitable for camping

proper

adjective

ˈprä-pər

Definition of proper next

as in polite

following the established traditions of refined society and good taste the formal ball called for proper attire—tuxedos and full-length gowns only

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in correct

being in agreement with the truth or a fact or a standard there is really more than one proper way to pronounce that word in English

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in formal

marked by or showing careful attention to set forms and details we had nodded and said hello to one another but had never had a proper introduction

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in appropriate

meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation you'll need to have a proper diet if you want to lose weight

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in distinguishing

serving to identify as belonging to an individual or group malaria and other diseases that are proper to the tropics

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective proper differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of proper are appropriate, apt, felicitous, fitting, fit, happy, meet, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

When would appropriate be a good substitute for proper?

Although the words appropriate and proper have much in common, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

When can apt be used instead of proper?

The meanings of apt and proper largely overlap; however, apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When is it sensible to use felicitous instead of proper?

While in some cases nearly identical to proper, felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

When is fit a more appropriate choice than proper?

In some situations, the words fit and proper are roughly equivalent. However, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When might fitting be a better fit than proper?

The words fitting and proper can be used in similar contexts, but fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

In what contexts can happy take the place of proper?

The words happy and proper are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When could meet be used to replace proper?

The synonyms meet and proper are sometimes interchangeable, but meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

Where would suitable be a reasonable alternative to proper?

While the synonyms suitable and proper are close in meaning, suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of proper On Thursday, the House passed the Fix Our Forests Act, a bipartisan measure that's intended to help prevent catastrophic wildfires and provide proper forest management as California continues. —

Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 24 Jan. 2025 While hip-hop artists were discovering Stone’s music in the ’80s (and presumably not paying the proper rates for the sampling rights), Stone was getting into crack cocaine, a habit that weighed him down for the whole decade. —

Damon Wise, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025 Keely is also accused of gross negligence for failing to adhere to proper pursuit procedures, allowing an unarmed man to be killed unnecessarily. —

Cheyanne M. Daniels, The Hill, 24 Jan. 2025 There is no region where only A and C overlap that doesn’t also include another region, and likewise for B and D. A proper Venn diagram depicts every combination of intersections. —

Jack Murtagh, Scientific American, 14 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for proper

Recent Examples of Synonyms for proper

Adjective

Upon arrival in Key West, the group exchanges polite greetings, but the underlying tension is palpable.

— Shelby Stewart, Essence, 27 Jan. 2025
If Trump lost McConnell on Hegseth, there is reason to think other Republican lawmakers might now look around and find good—and shrewd—company in the polite opposition.

— Philip Elliott, TIME, 27 Jan. 2025