Meaning & use
improper
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not following accepted rules of behavior or correctness; not suitable or right for the situation.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: 'improper conduct' or 'The conduct was improper.'
Patterns
- improper to do something
- it is improper for someone to do something
- improper behavior
It is improper to ask someone's age in a job interview.
The teacher was criticized for improper conduct toward students.
Using a phone during the ceremony is considered improper.
adjectivecomparable
Not correct or accurate in a technical or formal sense; not meeting a required standard.
Grammar: Often used in technical or legal contexts: 'improper installation', 'improper fraction'.
Patterns
- improper use of something
- improper procedure
- improper fraction
The machine broke down due to improper installation.
In math, 7/4 is an improper fraction because the top number is larger.
The court found that the police had used improper procedures.
Word forms
| comparative | more improper |
|---|---|
| superlative | most improper |
Common combinations
- improper behavior
- The manager was fired for improper behavior toward staff.
- improper use
- Improper use of the equipment can cause injury.
- improper fraction
- An improper fraction has a numerator larger than its denominator.
- it is improper to do something
- It is improper to leave without saying goodbye.
Synonyms and how they differ
- inappropriate
- Inappropriate means not suitable for the occasion; improper often suggests a stronger breach of rules or morals.
- wrong
- Wrong is a general word for incorrect; improper is more formal and often implies a social or legal standard.
- unseemly
- Unseemly is literary and suggests something that looks bad or embarrassing; improper is more neutral and common.
Opposites
Word family
- improperly adverb
- In an improper way.
- impropriety noun
- Improper behavior or conduct.
Commonly confused: improper or improper vs. inappropriate?
improper vs improper vs. inappropriate
Inappropriate means not suitable for the situation, but improper often implies breaking a rule or moral standard. Wearing jeans to a wedding is inappropriate; accepting a bribe is improper.
Practice
Choose the correct word: 'The judge ruled that the evidence was obtained through ______ procedures.'
Choose one answer.
The sentence needs an adjective to modify 'procedures', so 'improper' is correct. 'Improperly' is an adverb and would modify a verb, as in 'The evidence was improperly obtained.'
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “improper”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.