proper

Everyday

1. Right, correct or suitable for the situation: "the proper way to hold a pencil". tree →
2. Real, true: "a proper meal", not just a snack. tree →
3. Polite and well-behaved, following the rules of good manners. tree →
4. In maths, a proper fraction is one where the top number is smaller than the bottom number. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life "proper" tells you the right way or the right thing: proper clothes for the weather, proper equipment for safety. In maths, a proper fraction is less than one whole, like 3/4. In grammar, a proper noun is the name of a particular person, place or thing and starts with a capital letter. Phrases: proper noun, proper fraction, the proper way, proper manners, a proper meal.

Examples

• Wear proper shoes for the hike. tree →
• Put the toys back in their proper place. tree →
• "London" is a proper noun, so it starts with a capital letter. tree →
• 3/4 is a proper fraction. tree →
• After the snack we had a proper dinner. tree →
• It is proper to say thank you. tree →
• Use the proper tool for the job. tree →
• That is the proper way to fight. tree →

Note

The adverb is "properly": "Wash your hands properly." The opposite is "improper". Proper noun: Sydney, Mia, Monday — capital letter; common noun: city, girl, day. Proper fraction: numerator smaller than denominator, so its value is less than 1; an improper fraction such as 7/4 is 1 or more. In British speech "proper" can also mean "really": "a proper mess".

In Jewish tradition

Interpretation: In Sefer Yetzirah things have their own proper place and order, such as the sun and moon in their orbits. Readers see this as showing God's careful design of the world. In the primary lessons: In everyday life "proper" tells you the right way or the right thing: proper clothes for the weather, proper equipment for safety. In maths, a proper fraction is less than one whole, like 3/4. In grammar, a proper noun is the name of a particular person, place or thing and starts with a capital letter. Phrases: proper noun, proper fraction, the proper way, proper manners, a proper meal.

Examples

• Magnificence, which emanate from its own proper essence. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887) tree →
• Because it regulates the motions of the Sun and Moon in their proper order, each in an orbit convenient for it. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887) tree →
• But it is proper to assume, tliat they may have been known to a few learned men long before they began to be widely used. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) tree →

Note

The adverb is "properly": "Wash your hands properly." The opposite is "improper". Proper noun: Sydney, Mia, Monday — capital letter; common noun: city, girl, day. Proper fraction: numerator smaller than denominator, so its value is less than 1; an improper fraction such as 7/4 is 1 or more. In British speech "proper" can also mean "really": "a proper mess".