Proper means correct, appropriate, or following accepted standards. When your teacher asks you to use proper grammar, she wants you to follow the rules of English instead of writing like you're texting a friend. When you dress in proper attire for a wedding, you're wearing clothes that fit the formal occasion.

The word suggests being right in a way that respects tradition, shows good judgment, or follows established customs. A proper meal is a balanced, well-prepared dinner served at the table rather than grabbing snacks from the pantry. The proper way to address a judge is “Your Honor,” not “Hey, Judge.”

Sometimes proper describes the exact or strict sense of something. Los Angeles proper means the city itself, not the surrounding suburbs. The proper definition of a word is its precise, technical meaning.

People occasionally use proper to mean complete or thorough, especially in British English: “That storm was a proper downpour.” And when someone acts properly, they behave with good manners and consideration for others, like saying please and thank you or waiting their turn in line.