propriety
NounUS[pruh-prahy-uh-tee]/prəˈpraɪəti/4 syllables
Open English WordNet
Noun (1)proprieties
- correct or appropriate behaviorSynonyms: propernesscorrectitudeType of demeanor, demeanourKinds modesty, seemliness, decency, decorum, appropriateness, good form, correctness, priggishnessAttribute of proper, improper
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demureadjective
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Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Pro·pri′e·ty noun; pl. Proprieties (#).
Origin: F. propriété, L. proprietas, fr. proprius one's own, proper. See Property, Proper.
1. Individual right to hold property; ownership by personal title; property. obsolete “Onles this propriety be exiled.” Raphe Robynson
So are the proprieties of a wife to be disposed of by her lord, and yet all are for her provisions, it being a part of his need to refresh and supply hers.— Taylor, Jeremy
2. That which is proper or peculiar; an inherent property or quality; peculiarity. obsolete Francis, Baron Verulam Bacon
We find no mention hereof in ancient zoographers,... who seldom forget proprieties of such a nature.— Sir Thomas Browne
3. The quality or state of being proper; suitableness to an acknowledged or correct standard or rule; consonance with established principles, rules, or customs; fitness; appropriateness; as, propriety of behavior, language, manners, etc. “The rule of propriety,” John Locke
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54