propriety
Proper behavior standards
Propriety is the quality of being proper—behaving in ways that conform to accepted standards of conduct, manners, and morality.
Someone who observes the proprieties follows conventional rules of social behavior: Victorian propriety forbade women from showing their ankles.
The word often carries a slightly formal or old-fashioned tone, suggesting adherence to decorum rather than casual informality.
When propriety is violated, people may be scandalized or offended, though what counts as proper varies widely across cultures and eras.
Customs of polite conduct
- protocolPrescribed conduct rules
- courtesyRespectful, considerate behavior
- politenessCourteous, respectful conduct
- civilityFormal politeness in conduct
formality · decorum · tact · diplomacy · greetings · introductions · dress code · table manners
Absence of vanity
- chastityAbstaining from sexual activity
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- purityUncontaminated quality
- wholesomenessQuality of being good
respectability · decorum · seemliness · discretion · reserve · demureness · restraint · delicacy
Study of right conduct
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- righteousnessMoral correctness or virtue
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- honorHigh regard, moral dignity
principle · conscience · scruples · uprightness · rectitude · probity · honesty · sincerity
Innate personal worth
- reputationCollective opinion of someone
- standingPosition, physical or social
- esteemFavorable opinion of worth
- reputePublic standing or esteem
credibility · status · prestige · good name · honor · character · worthiness · social standing
Habitual group practice
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- normAccepted behavioral standard
- standardLevel of quality accepted
- protocolPrescribed conduct rules
observance · precedent · code · expectations · conformity · done thing · social order · unwritten rules
manners
Customs of polite conduct
- protocolPrescribed conduct rules
- courtesyRespectful, considerate behavior
- politenessCourteous, respectful conduct
civility · formality · decorum · tact · diplomacy · greetings · introductions · dress code · table manners · silverware
modesty
Absence of vanity
wholesomeness · respectability · decorum · seemliness · discretion · reserve · demureness · restraint · delicacy · prudence
ethics
Study of right conduct
- virtueMoral goodness or merit
- righteousnessMoral correctness or virtue
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
honor · principle · conscience · scruples · uprightness · rectitude · probity · honesty · sincerity · moral standards
dignity
Innate personal worth
- reputationCollective opinion of someone
- standingPosition, physical or social
- esteemFavorable opinion of worth
repute · credibility · status · prestige · good name · honor · character · worthiness · social standing · gentility
custom
Habitual group practice
- traditionCustom passed through generations
- normAccepted behavioral standard
- standardLevel of quality accepted
protocol · observance · precedent · code · expectations · conformity · done thing · social order · unwritten rules · bourgeois values
- modestyhijab, head covering, head coverings, niqab, burqa
- Puritanismpuritanism, moral purity, prudery, prudishness, strictness
- Victorian eraparlour, Victorian etiquette, etiquette, parlor games, courtship
- courtesycivility, decorum, etiquette, good manners, manners
- demeanorbehavior, conduct, deportment, bearing, demeanor
- etiquettemanners, politeness, etiquette, table manners, courtesy
proprietyimpropriety
Unsuitable or inappropriate behavior
indecorum · vulgarity · indecency · impoliteness · incivility
proprietyimmorality
Quality of being wicked
wickedness · depravity · misconduct · evil · misbehavior
proprietyinappropriateness
Lack of suitability
improperness · unsuitableness · unseemliness · incongruity · unfitness
- sole proprietorSingle owner of business
- proprietary softwareRestricted, owned computer programs
- proprietary technologyPrivately owned technical methods
- proprietary rightsLegal entitlements to exclusive control
- proprietary blendConfidential mixture of ingredients