Improper

• POS: Adjective
• HYPHEN: im=prop=er

CIDE DICTIONARY

Improper, a. [F. impropre, L. improprius; pref. im- not + proprius proper. See Proper.].

•  Not proper; not suitable; not fitted to the circumstances, design, or end; unfit; not becoming; incongruous; inappropriate; indecent; as, an improper medicine; improper thought, behavior, language, dress.  [1913 Webster]

  "Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service,
  Improper for a slave."  [1913 Webster]

  "And to their proper operation still,
  Ascribe all Good; to their improper, Ill."  [1913 Webster]
•  Not peculiar or appropriate to individuals; general; common.  [1913 Webster]

  "Not to be adorned with any art but such improper ones as nature is said to bestow, as singing and poetry."  [1913 Webster]
•  Not according to facts; inaccurate; erroneous.  [1913 Webster]

Improper diphthong. See under Diphthong. -- Improper feud, an original feud, not earned by military service. Mozley & W. -- Improper fraction. See under Fraction.

Improper, v. t. 

 To appropriate; to limit.  [1913 Webster]
"He would in like manner improper and inclose the sunbeams to comfort the rich and not the poor."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Improper, adj.
1 a unseemly; indecent. b not in accordance with accepted rules of behaviour.
2 inaccurate, wrong.
3 not properly so called.

Idiom

improper fraction a fraction in which the numerator is greater than or equal to the denominator.

Derivative

improperly adv.

Etymology

F impropre or L improprius (as IN-(1), PROPER)

THESAURUS

Improper

Doric, aberrant, abnormal, abominable, amiss, arrant, atrocious, bad, barbaric, barbarous, base, black, blamable, blameworthy, blooper, boner, boo-boo, break, cacophonous, careless, chintzy, clumsy, coarse, corrupt, corruption, criminal, crude, damnable, dark, delinquent, deviant, disgraceful, disorderly, disruptive, doggerel, dysphemistic, erroneous, evil, excessive, execrable, false, faulty, faux pas, flagitious, flagrant, foul, fresh, futile, gaffe, gauche, graceless, gross, hardly the thing, harsh, heinous, ignominious, ill, ill-adapted, ill-advised, ill-assorted, ill-chosen, ill-considered, ill-fitted, ill-matched, ill-seasoned, ill-sorted, ill-suited, ill-timed, illegal, immodest, immoral, impertinent, impolite, impolitic, imprecise, impropriety, impure, in bad taste, inaccurate, inadmissibility, inadmissible, inadvisable, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, inauspicious, incompatible, inconcinnate, inconcinnous, incongruous, inconvenient, incorrect, incorrectness, indecent, indecorous, indecorousness, indecorum, indelicate, indiscreet, inelegance, inelegant, inept, inexact, inexpedient, infamous, infelicitous, inferior, informal, iniquitous, inopportune, intempestive, intrusive, invalid, irregular, irrelevant, knavish, lascivious, late, lewd, loose, low, mal a propos, maladjusted, malapropos, malevolent, malodorous, misbehaving, misjoined, mismatched, mismated, misplaced, mistaken, mistimed, monstrous, naughty, nefarious, not done, not respectable, not the thing, objectionableness, obscene, off base, off color, off-base, off-color, offensive, out of character, out of joint, out of keeping, out of line, out of phase, out of place, out of proportion, out of season, out of time, out of tune, out-of-line, outlandish, peccant, premature, rank, reprehensible, reprobate, risque, rough, rowdy, rowdyish, rude, ruffianly, sacrilegious, sassy, scandalous, shameful, shameless, sinful, sinister, slipshod, slovenly, solecism, solecistic, suggestive, tactless, tasteless, terrible, too late, too soon, unacceptableness, unadapted, unapt, unbecoming, unbecomingness, unbefitting, unbehaving, unbeseeming, uncalled-for, unceremonious, uncomely, unconventional, uncourtly, uncouth, undecorous, undesirable, undignified, undue, uneuphonious, unfavorable, unfelicitous, unfit, unfitted, unfitting, unforgivable, unfortunate, ungenteel, ungodly, ungraceful, ungrammatic, unhandy, unhappy, unhealthy, unkind, unlawful, unlucky, unmeet, unmeetness, unpardonable, unpleasant, unpolished, unprofitable, unpropitious, unqualified, unready, unrefined, unrighteous, unripe, unseasonable, unseemliness, unseemly, unskillful, unspeakable, unsuitable, unsuited, untasteful, untimely, untoward, untrue, unwise, unworthy, vernacularism, vicious, vile, villainous, vulgar, vulgarism, wicked, wrong, wrongful

ROGET THESAURUS

Improper

Solecism

N solecism, bad grammar, false grammar, faulty grammar, slip of the pen, slip of the tongue, lapsus linguae, slipslop, bull, barbarism, impropriety, ungrammatical, incorrect, inaccurate, faulty, improper, incongruous, solecistic, solecistical.

Inexpedience

N inexpedience, inexpediency, undesirableness, undesirability, discommodity, impropriety, unfitness, inutility, disadvantage, inexpedient, undesirable, unadvisable, inadvisable, objectionable, inapt, ineligible, inadmissible, inconvenient, incommodious, discommodious, disadvantageous, inappropriate, unfit, ill-contrived, ill-advised, unsatisfactory, unprofitable, unsubservient, inopportune, out of place, in the wrong place, improper, unseemly, clumsy, awkward, cumbrous, cumbersome, lumbering, unwieldy, hulky, unmanageable, impedient, unnecessary, it will never do.

Disagreement

N disagreement, discord, discordance, dissonance, dissidence, discrepancy, unconformity, incongruity, incongruence, discongruity, mesalliance, jarring, dissension, conflict, bickering, clashing, misunderstanding, wrangle, disparity, mismatch, disproportion, dissimilitude, inequality, disproportionateness, variance, divergence, repugnance, unfitness, inaptitude, impropriety, inapplicability, inconsistency, inconcinnity, irrelevancy, misjoining, misjoinder, syncretism, intrusion, interference, concordia discors, fish out of water, disagreeing, discordant, discrepant, at variance, at war, hostile, antagonistic, repugnant, incompatible, irreconcilable, inconsistent with, unconformable, exceptional, intrusive, incongruous, disproportionate, disproportionated, inharmonious, unharmonious, inconsonant, unconsonant, divergent, repugnant to, inapt, unapt, inappropriate, improper, unsuited, unsuitable, inapplicable, not to the point, unfit, unfitting, unbefitting, unbecoming, illtimed, unseasonable, mal a propos, inadmissible, inapposite, uncongenial, ill-assorted, ill-sorted, mismatched, misjoined, misplaced, misclassified, unaccommodating, irreducible, incommensurable, uncommensurable, unsympathetic, out of character, out of keeping, out of proportion, out of joint, out of tune, out of place, out of season, out of its element, at odds with, at variance with, in defiance, in contempt, in spite of, discordantly, a tort et a travers, asinus ad lyram.

Wrong

N wrong, what ought not to be, what should not be, malum in se, unreasonableness, grievance, shame, injustice, tort, unfairness, iniquity, foul play, partiality, leaning, bias, favor, favoritism, nepotism, party spirit, partisanship, bigotry, undueness, wrongdoing (vice), unlawfulness, robbing Peter to pay Paul, the wolf and the lamb, vice, a custom more honored in the breach than the obser, wrong, wrongful, bad, too bad, unjust, unfair, inequitable, unequitable, unequal, partial, one-sided, injurious, tortious, objectionable, unreasonable, unallowable, unwarrantable, unjustifiable, improper, unfit, unjustified, illegal, iniquitous, immoral, in the wrong, in the wrong box, wrongly, it will not do.

Undueness

N undueness, malum prohibitum, impropriety, illegality, falseness, emptiness of title, invalidity of title, illegitimacy, loss of right, disfranchisement, forfeiture, usurpation, tort, violation, breach, encroachment, presumption, assumption, seizure, stretch, exaction, imposition, lion's share, usurper, pretender, undue, unlawful, unconstitutional, illicit, unauthorized, unwarranted, disallowed, unallowed, unsanctioned, unjustified, unentitled, disentitled, unqualified, disqualified, unprivileged, unchartered, illegitimate, bastard, spurious, supposititious, false, usurped, tortious, undeserved, unmerited, unearned, unfulfilled, forfeited, disfranchised, improper, unmeet, unfit, unbefitting, unseemly, unbecoming, misbecoming, seemless, contra bonos mores, not the thing, out of the question, not to be thought of, preposterous, pretentious, would-be, filius nullius.

Vice

N vice, evil-doing, evil courses, wrongdoing, wickedness, viciousness, iniquity, peccability, demerit, sin, Adam, old Adam, offending Adam, immorality, impropriety, indecorum, scandal, laxity, looseness of morals, enphagy, dophagy, exophagy, want of principle, want of ballast, obliquity, backsliding, infamy, demoralization, pravity, depravity, pollution, hardness of heart, brutality, corruption, knavery, profligacy, flagrancy, atrocity, cannibalism, lesbianism, Sadism, infirmity, weakness, weakness of the flesh, frailty, imperfection, error, weak side, foible, failing, failure, crying sin, besetting sin, defect, deficiency, cloven foot, lowest dregs of vice, sink of iniquity, Alsatian den, gusto picaresco, fault, crime, criminality, sinner, brothel, gambling house, joint, opium den, shooting gallery, crack house, vicious, sinful, sinning, wicked, iniquitous, immoral, unrighteous, wrong, criminal, naughty, incorrect, unduteous, undutiful, unprincipled, lawless, disorderly, contra bonos mores, indecorous, unseemly, improper, dissolute, profligate, scampish, unworthy, worthless, desertless, disgraceful, recreant, reprehensible, blameworthy, uncommendable, discreditable, disreputable, Sadistic, base, sinister, scurvy, foul, gross, vile, black, grave, facinorous, felonious, nefarious, shameful, scandalous, infamous, villainous, of a deep dye, heinous, flagrant, flagitious, atrocious, incarnate, accursed, Mephistophelian, satanic, diabolic, hellish, infernal, stygian, fiendlike, hell-born, demoniacal, devilish, fiendish, miscreated, misbegotten, demoralized, corrupt, depraved, evil-minded, evil-disposed, ill-conditioned, malevolent, heartless, graceless, shameless, virtueless, abandoned, lost to virtue, unconscionable, sunk in iniquity, lost in iniquity, steeped in iniquity, incorrigible, irreclaimable, obdurate, reprobate, past praying for, culpable, reprehensible, unjustifiable, indefensible, inexcusable, inexpiable, unpardonable, irremissible, weak, frail, lax, infirm, imperfect, indiscrete, demoralizing, degrading, wrong, sinfully, without excuse, Int, O tempora!, O mores!, alitur vitium vivitque tegendo, genus est mortis male vivere, mala mens malus animus, nemo repente fuit turpissimus, the trail of the serpent is over them all, to sanction vice and hunt decorum down.

Folly

N imbecility folly, want of intelligence &c, want of intellect, shadowness, silliness, foolishness, imbecility, incapacity, vacancy of mind, poverty of intellect, weakness of intellect, clouded perception, poor head, apartments to let, stupidity, stolidity, hebetude, dull understanding, meanest capacity, shortsightedness, incompetence, one's weak side, not one's strong point, bias, infatuation, simplicity, puerility, babyhood, dotage, anility, second childishness, fatuity, idiocy, idiotism, driveling, folly, frivolity, irrationality, trifling, ineptitude, nugacity, inconsistency, lip wisdom, conceit, sophistry, giddiness, eccentricity, extravagance, rashness, act of folly, unintelligent, unintellectual, unreasoning, mindless, witless, reasoningless, brainless, halfbaked, having no head, not bright, inapprehensible, weak headed, addle headed, puzzle headed, blunder headed, muddle headed, muddy headed, pig headed, beetle headed, buffle headed, chuckle headed, mutton headed, maggoty headed, grossheaded, beef headed, fat witted, fat-headed, weak-minded, feeble-minded, dull minded, shallow minded, lack- brained, rattle-brained, rattle headed, half witted, lean witted, short witted, dull witted, blunt-witted, shallow-pated, clod-pated, addle- pated, addle-brained, dim-sighted, short-sighted, thick-skulled, weak in the upper story, shallow, borne, weak, wanting, soft, sappy, spoony, dull, dull as a beetle, stupid, heavy, insulse, obtuse, blunt, stolid, doltish, asinine, inapt, prosaic, hebetudinous, childish, child-like, infantine, infantile, babyish, babish, puerile, anile, simple, old-womanish, fatuous, idiotic, imbecile, driveling, blatant, babbling, vacant, sottish, bewildered, blockish, unteachable Boeotian, Boeotic, bovine, ungifted, undiscerning, unenlightened, unwise, unphilosophical, apish, simious, foolish, silly, senseless, irrational, insensate, nonsensical, inept, maudlin, narrow-minded, bigoted, giddy, rash, eccentric, foolish, unwise, injudicious, improper, unreasonable, without reason, ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, silly, stupid, asinine, ill-imagined, ill-advised, ill-judged, ill-devised, mal entendu, inconsistent, irrational, unphilosophical, extravagant, sleeveless, idle, pointless, useless, inexpedient, frivolous, Davus sum non, a fool's bolt is soon shot clitellae bovi sunt im, fools rush in where angels fear to tread, il n' a ni bouche ni eperon, the bookful blockhead, ignorantly read, to varnish nonsense with the charms of sound.