Meanings
comparative more improperly · superlative most improperly
- In an improper manner; not properly.
1 more example
Prosecutors also said Wednesday their side “does not intend to reference allegations that the defendant violated FARA or improperly coordinated with the Obama Administration,” referring to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires people who lobby on behalf of foreign clients to register beforehand with the US government.
2024 August 7, Marshall Cohen, “Prosecutors claim Hunter Biden once agreed to lobby US on behalf of Romanian businessman”, in CNNSynonyms: immorally, indecently, wrongly, illicitly, immodestly, immorally, incontinently, indecently
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbIn an improper manner; not properly.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbin an improper way
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishimproprelich
- Englishimproperly
From Middle English improprelich, impropreliche, impropurly, inproperlye; equivalent to improper + -ly or im- + properly.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan inadequadament
- inadequadamentin an improper manner
Czech nepatřičně, nesprávně
- nepatřičněin an improper manner
- nesprávněin an improper manner
- nevhodněin an improper manner
- nedostatečněin an improper manner
French improprement
- improprementin an improper manner
Italian inadeguatamente, a sproposito
- inadeguatamentein an improper manner
- a spropositoin an improper manner
Latin ūsūrpātīvē
- ūsūrpātīvēin an improper manner
Portuguese inadequadamente
- inadequadamentein an improper manner
Spanish impropriamente, impropiamente
- impropriamentein an improper manner
- impropiamentein an improper manner
Cite this entry
improperly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/improperly
“improperly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/improperly. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “improperly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/improperly.
Source: improperly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.