 | WordWeight : Weighing the Words |
| WordWeight : Weighing the Words |
Propriety
Pronunciation : Pro*pri"e*ty
Part of Speech : n.;
Etymology : [F. propri?t?, L. proprietas, fr. proprius one's own, proper. See Property, Proper.]
Definition : 1. Individual right to hold property; ownership by personal title; property. [Obs.] "Onles this propriety be exiled." Robynson (More's Utopia). 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. Jer. Taylor.
2. That which is proper or peculiar; an inherent property or quality; peculiarity. [Obs.] Bacon. We find no mention hereof in ancient zo?graphers, . . . who seldom forget proprieties of such a nature. Sir T. 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," Locke.
pl. Proprieties.
Source : Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913
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