propriety
gb/pɹəpɹˈaɪəti/ us/pɹəpɹˈaɪəti/
C1
Inglés
~ 25400
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
formal
C1
property
1
conformity to social or moral norms
Behavior that is careful to follow what people think is polite, correct, or morally right.
Patrón de uso:
[someone] has a sense of propriety about [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse "propriety" with "property" because they look similar. "Propriety" is about correct or proper behavior, while "property" is about things that belong to someone. Another mistake is using "propriety" in very casual situations where native speakers would simply say "good manners" or "politeness."
Sinónimos
decorum (Emphasizes calm, controlled, and socially proper behavior, especially in public or formal settings.)
|
decency (Stresses basic moral rightness and modesty, sometimes with a slightly more moral or sexual focus.)
|
respectability (Suggests behavior that makes someone look morally correct and socially acceptable in other people's eyes.)
Antónimos
impropriety (Direct opposite; refers to behavior that does not follow accepted moral or social standards.)
|
indecency (Focuses on behavior that is shocking or offensive to moral or sexual standards.)
Colocaciones
a sense of propriety
|social propriety
|the bounds of propriety
|a breach of propriety
|offend against propriety
|observe the proprieties
Temas
society
|ethics
|behavior
|relationships
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Her strong sense of propriety kept her from making any personal remarks at the meeting.
- He was careful to behave with perfect propriety in front of his girlfriend's parents.
- The politician's jokes were widely criticized as a serious breach of propriety.
- Even in private letters, she maintained a level of propriety that now seems old‑fashioned.
- The novel shocked readers at the time by openly challenging Victorian ideas of sexual propriety.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- He did not drink at work because of his sense of propriety.
- She spoke with great propriety when she met the king.
- The teacher said his talk in class showed a lack of propriety.
- People in that small town care a lot about social propriety.
- His parents taught him the propriety of saying "please" and "thank you."
Sustantivo
formal
C1
property
2
appropriateness of an act or decision
The fact that an action, word, or decision is the right or suitable thing to do in that situation.
Patrón de uso:
the propriety of [doing something / a decision / an action]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say "the propriety to do something" instead of "the propriety of doing something" or "the propriety of [a noun]." Another common error is using "propriety" where the more usual word would be "right" or "okay" in everyday speech; "propriety" is mainly used in more formal discussion of decisions or actions.
Sinónimos
appropriateness (Very close in meaning; neutral term for being right or suitable to the situation.)
|
suitability (Focuses slightly more on being a good fit or match for a purpose or context.)
|
propriety (N/A)
Antónimos
inappropriateness (Direct negative; indicates that something is not suitable or right for the situation.)
|
impropriety (Often used in legal, political, or business contexts for actions that are not just unsuitable but also morally or professionally wrong.)
Colocaciones
the propriety of his actions
|question the propriety of [something]
|legal propriety
|moral propriety
|doubt the propriety
|consider the propriety of [doing something]
Temas
ethics
|law
|business
|work
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- Some shareholders have begun to question the propriety of the board's decision.
- The judge asked the lawyers to consider the propriety of releasing the documents to the media.
- Many staff members doubted the propriety of accepting such an expensive gift from a supplier.
- He never considered the propriety of using company funds for his private trip.
- The committee will review the legal propriety of the proposed policy changes.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- They argued about the propriety of the manager's choice.
- The company lawyer checked the propriety of the contract.
- Some people questioned the propriety of inviting clients to such a private party.
- We must think about the propriety of sharing this information.
- She was unsure about the propriety of asking her boss for a loan.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
propriety
AFI
GB/pɹəpɹˈaɪəti/
US/pɹəpɹˈaɪəti/
Sílabas y acento
pro - pri - ety (3 sílabas)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pri)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: propriety
- Plural: proprieties, propriety
Familia de palabras
Forms
proprieties
noun
Negative and opposite forms
Advanced or less common
properness
noun
Expresiones
a breach of propriety
1/ə bɹˈit͡ʃ əv pɹəpɹˈaɪəti/
fixed phrase
formal
violation of accepted standards
An action that does not follow what people think is polite, correct, or morally right.
Ejemplos
- Publishing the private emails was widely seen as a serious breach of propriety.
- The committee decided that his comments did not amount to a breach of propriety.
a sense of propriety
1/ə sˈɛns əv pɹəpɹˈaɪəti/
fixed phrase
formal
personal feeling for proper behavior
A strong personal feeling that you must act in a way that is polite and morally right according to society.
Ejemplos
- Her strong sense of propriety stopped her from making a joke at the funeral.
- Out of a sense of propriety, he refused to comment on his colleague's private life.
the bounds of propriety
1/ðə bˈaʊndz əv pɹəpɹˈaɪəti/
fixed phrase
formal
limits of acceptable behavior
The limits of what people think is polite or morally right behavior.
Ejemplos
- His remarks went far beyond the bounds of propriety.
- Within the bounds of propriety, you may answer the press's questions.
the proprieties
1/ðə pɹˈɑpɹitiz/
fixed phrase
formal
accepted rules of good behavior
The accepted rules about how to behave politely in a social group or society.
Ejemplos
- She carefully observed all the proprieties when she visited the ambassador's house.
- At that time, ignoring the social proprieties could damage a young woman's reputation.