Meanings
comparative more properly · superlative most properly
- In a proper manner, appropriately, suitably; correctly, justifiably.
Does she think the repairs have been properly done?
2 more examples
I know that I am spoiling your life that without me you could work. And you will I know. You see I cant[sic] even write this properly.
1941, Virginia Woolf, suicide noteHospitals are failing to care properly for the growing number of people with dementia, according to an NHS-funded report, which has prompted demands for big improvements to help patients.
2011 December 16, Denis Campbell, “Hospital staff 'lack skills to cope with dementia patients'”, in The GuardianSynonyms: compliantly, duly, rightly, accordantly, accordingly, agreeably, appropriately, becomingly
- obsoleteindividually; in one's own manner.
Synonyms: independently, singly, uniquely, absolutely, abstractedly, abstractly, apart, discretely
- colloquialEntirely; extremely; thoroughly.
I was properly tired after that party.
Synonyms: downright, quite, well and truly, absolutely, all-out, tout à fait, all the way, stone-cold
Synonyms & antonyms
adverbIn a proper manner, appropriately, suitably; correctly, justifiably.
adverbindividually; in one's own manner.
adverbEntirely; extremely; thoroughly.
More synonyms by meaning
adverbin accordance with what is appropriate or suitable for the circumstances
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*per-der.?
- Proto-Indo-European*pér
- Proto-Indo-European*pró
- Proto-Indo-European*pro-
- Proto-Italic*pro-
- Proto-Indo-European*preyH-
- Proto-Indo-European*priHós
- Proto-Italic*prijos
- Proto-Italic*proprijos
- Latinpropriu
- Anglo-Normanpropre
- Middle Englishpropre
- Englishproper
- Englishproperly
Translations
Arabic كَمَا يَجِب, كَمَا يَنْبَغِي
- كَمَا يَجِب (kamā yajib)in a proper manner
- كَمَا يَنْبَغِي (kamā yanbaḡī)in a proper manner
Basque behar bezala
- behar bezalain a proper manner
Bulgarian правилно, както трябва
- правилно (pravilno)in a proper manner
- както трябва (kakto trjabva)in a proper manner
Chinese Mandarin 正確 /正确, 好好兒地 /好好儿地
- 正確 /正确 (zhèngquè)in a proper manner
- 好好兒地 /好好儿地 (hǎohāor de)in a proper manner
- 適當地 /适当地 (shìdàng de)in a proper manner
Danish ordentligt
- ordentligtin a proper manner
Esperanto dece
- decein a proper manner
Finnish oikein, kunnolla
- oikeinin a proper manner
- kunnollain a proper manner
French proprement, correctement
- proprementin a proper manner
- correctementin a proper manner
- convenablementin a proper manner
German ordnungsgemäß, ordentlich
- ordnungsgemäßin a proper manner
- ordentlichin a proper manner
- richtigin a proper manner
- vernünftigin a proper manner
Greek καταλλήλως, δεόντως
- καταλλήλως (katallílos)in a proper manner
- δεόντως (deóntos)in a proper manner
- σωστά (sostá)in a proper manner
Hindi ठीक से, ठीक तरह से
- ठीक से (ṭhīk se)in a proper manner
- ठीक तरह से (ṭhīk tarah se)in a proper manner
Hungarian megfelelően
- megfelelőenin a proper manner
Italian propriamente, in maniera appropriata
- propriamentein a proper manner
- in maniera appropriatain a proper manner
- correttamentein a proper manner
- con cognizione di causain a proper manner
- appuntinoin a proper manner
- per benein a proper manner
- ammodoin a proper manner
- adeguatamentein a proper manner
Japanese 適切に
- 適切に (tekisetsu ni)in a proper manner
Latin decōrē
- decōrēin a proper manner
Norwegian Bokmål ordentlig
- ordentligin a proper manner
Portuguese propriamente
- propriamentein a proper manner
Russian до́лжным о́бразом, как сле́дует
- до́лжным о́бразом (dólžnym óbrazom)in a proper manner
- как сле́дует (kak slédujet)in a proper manner
- хороше́нько (xorošénʹko)in a proper manner
- пра́вильно (právilʹno)in a proper manner
- соотве́тственно (sootvétstvenno)in a proper manner
Spanish como es debido, como corresponde
- como es debidoin a proper manner
- como correspondein a proper manner
- como tocain a proper manner
Swedish ordentligt
- ordentligtin a proper manner
Ukrainian належно, правильно
- належно (naležno)in a proper manner
- правильно (pravylʹno)in a proper manner
- нале́жним чи́ном (naléžnym čýnom)in a proper manner
- як слідin a proper manner
Urdu ٹھیک سے
- ٹھیک سے (ṭhīk se)in a proper manner
Vietnamese tử tế
- tử tếin a proper manner
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with properly
All rhymes →Cite this entry
properly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/properly
“properly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/properly. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “properly,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/properly.
Source: properly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.