Meaning & use
propriety
Conformity to accepted standards of behavior, manners, or morals in a particular society or situation.
See it in a sentence
She questioned the propriety of accepting expensive gifts from clients she was meant to regulate.
The committee debated matters of propriety before allowing the informal dress code at official events.
A note on using this word
Propriety often concerns social or moral correctness rather than legality; it pairs naturally with 'sense of' or 'breach of'.
Words with a similar meaning
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Words with an opposite meaning
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