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

Recent Examples on the Web

In contrast to Laugh Factory nights when Cazorla says her microphone didn’t even work properly, things will be different at her venue. —Julie Seabaugh, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2024

Starting the fire, waiting for the fire to properly break down, maintaining temperatures, and fueling the pit (depending on the size) every 45 minutes to an hour takes a lot of time out of your day. —Carrie Honaker, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2024

This involved inserting a fiber-optic camera attached to the end of a flexible tube, or endoscope, through my nose and into my throat to observe whether the swallow reflex was functioning properly, safely channeling food and water away from the vocal cords. —Hamish Bowles, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2024

That drama, properly contained, made Cline an artist whose songs connected long after the burgeoning superstar died in a plane crash at the age of 30. —Holly Gleason, Variety, 24 Apr. 2024

Meanwhile, black market versions may sicken people because manufacturers fail to properly dilute the neurotoxin. —Kristen Fischer, Health, 24 Apr. 2024

Boeing later disclosed that its own investigation revealed that some of the oxygen masks weren’t working, and fixed the problem so that all cylinders were operating properly. —Shawn Tully, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2024

Court documents say that had the captains’ crab harvest been properly accounted for by the Department of Fish and Game before attempting to be sold, the infected crab would have been identified and disposed of before leaving Alaska. —Julia Daye, Sacramento Bee, 24 Apr. 2024

To detach can lights from your ceiling to properly clean the baffle (the baffle is the conical cover typically found on recessed lighting fixtures) and the can light's housing: Remove the light bulb. —USA TODAY, 14 Apr. 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