properly

adverb

prop·​er·​ly ˈprä-pər-lē 

: in a proper manner:

a

: in an acceptable or suitable way

behaving properly

trying to get the system to work properly

"Oh yes, I am not at all ashamed of it. I would have everybody marry if they can do it properly."

—Jane Austen

b

: in an accurate or correct way

It might more properly be termed a musical device than a musical form.

—Aaron Copland

Scoop out the seeds (properly called arils, a botanical term that includes the tiny actual seeds and the juicy, edible pulp around them).

—David Karp

Synonyms

• appositely
• appropriately
• congruously
• correctly
• duly
• fittingly
• happily
• meetly
• right
• rightly
• suitably

Examples of properly in a Sentence

the scouts were properly dressed for a week of camping

Recent Examples on the Web

One song could never be enough to properly acknowledge the sacrifice that’s been made by not just men and women in uniform, but also the Gold Star families that are left behind after that sacrifice has been made. —Melinda Newman, Billboard, 1 Nov. 2024

Nana has always known a thing or two about how to properly eat a plate of Southern food. —Ivy Odom, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2024

Moments later, Atlas appears to misjudge the angle needed to properly load one of the engine covers. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 31 Oct. 2024

In the first trimester, the fetus was not developing properly, and the heartbeat had diminished, but her doctor refused to intervene, Paseka told NBC News. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

properly

adverb

prop·​er·​ly

ˈpräp-ər-lē

1

: in a fit or suitable way

behave properly in church

2

: according to fact : correctly

properly labeled goods

properly speaking, whales are not fish