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Origin and history of impropriety

impropriety(n.)

1610s, "quality or fact of being improper," from French impropriété (16c.) or directly from Latin improprietas "impropriety," from improprius "improper" (see improper). As "improper thing," 1670s.

also from 1610s

Entries linking to impropriety

improper(adj.)

mid-15c., "not true," from Old French impropre (14c.) and directly from Latin improprius "not proper," from assimilated form of in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + proprius (see proper). Meaning "not suited, unfit" is from 1560s; that of "not in accordance with good manners, modesty, or decency" is from 1739. Related: Improperly (late 14c.).

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    propriety
    early 15c., "fitness, proper character," from Old French proprieté "individuality, peculiarity; property," a later form of the vernacular proprete (which became English property), from Latin proprietatem (nominative proprietas) "appropriateness," also "ownership" (see property).
    familiarity
    c. 1200, "closeness of personal association, intimacy," from Old French familiarite and directly from Latin familiaritatem (nominative familiaritas) "intimacy, friendship, close acquaintance," from familiaris "friendly, intimate" (see familiar). Meaning "undue intimacy" is from l
    liberty
    late 14c., "free choice, freedom to do as one chooses," also "freedom from the bondage of sin," from Old French liberte "freedom, liberty, free will" (14c., Modern French liberté), from Latin libertatem (nominative libertas) "civil or political freedom, condition of a free man; a
    inconvenience
    c. 1400, "harm, damage; danger; misfortune, affliction," from Old French inconvenience "misfortune, calamity; impropriety...Sense of "impropriety, unfitness; an improper act or utterance" in English is from early 15c....
    dishonesty
    late 14c., "disgrace, shame, want of honor," from Old French deshonesté (13c., Modern French deshonnéteté) "dishonor, impropriety...
    demeanor
    late 15c., demenure, "conduct, management, treatment, behavior toward someone," from obsolete Middle English demean, demeinen "to handle, manage, conduct," later "behave in a certain way, conduct oneself" (early 14c.), from Old French demener (11c.) "to guide, conduct; to live, d
    status
    1670s, "height" of a situation or condition, later "legal standing of a person" (1791), from Latin status "condition, position, state, manner, attitude," from past-participle stem of stare "to stand" (from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm"). In law, the meaning "legal st
    condition
    mid-14c., condicioun, "particular mode of being of a person or thing," also "a requisite or prerequisite, a stipulation," from Old French condicion "stipulation; state; behavior; social status" (12c., Modern French condition), from Medieval Latin conditionem (nominative conditio)
    conduct
    early 15c., "to guide, accompany and show the way," from Latin conductus, past participle of conducere "to lead or bring together; contribute, serve," from assimilated form of com "with, together" (see con-) + ducere "to lead" (from PIE root *deuk- "to lead"). Sense of "to lead,
    dragon
    mid-13c., dragoun, a fabulous animal common to the conceptions of many races and peoples, from Old French dragon and directly from Latin draconem (nominative draco) "huge serpent, dragon," from Greek drakon (genitive drakontos) "serpent, giant seafish," apparently from drak-, str

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