Advertisement

Origin and history of propriety

propriety(n.)

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). The meaning "appropriateness, suitableness to an acknowledged or correct standard or rule" is attested from 1610s; the sense of "conformity to good manners" is from 1782.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to propriety

property(n.)

c. 1300, properte, "nature, quality, distinctive character always present in an individual or class," later "possession, land or goods owned, things subject to ownership" (early 14c., but this sense is rare before 17c.), from an Anglo-French modification of Old French proprete, "individuality, peculiarity; property" (12c., Modern French propreté) and directly from Latin proprietatem (nominative proprietas) "ownership, a property, propriety, quality," literally "special character" (a loan-translation of Greek idioma), noun of quality from proprius "one's own, special" (see proper). Compare propriety, which is another form of the same French word.

For "possessions, private property" Middle English sometimes used proper goods. Hot property "sensation, a success" is from 1947 in stories in Billboard magazine.

    Advertisement

    More to explore

    ego
    They that have pleaded against Propriety, and would have all things common in this World, have forgotten that there is a...Propriety, in our present Egoity, and Natural Constitution, which rendereth some accidental Propriety necessary to us (etc...
    bowdlerize
    to his frontispiece, "nothing is added to the original text; but those words and expressions omitted which cannot with propriety...
    presumptuous
    mid-14c., "arrogant, overweening, impertinent, going beyond the limits of propriety or good sense in thought or conduct,"...
    audacious
    In English, the bad sense of "shameless, unrestrained by propriety" is attested from 1590s....
    decorum
    1560s, "that which is proper or fitting in a literary or artistic composition;" 1580s, "propriety of speech, behavior, or...
    mensch
    English had cognate menske "honor, reputation" (c. 1200, from Old Norse mennska "human nature"), which, as modern mense "propriety...
    modest
    1560s, "having moderate self-regard, restrained by a sense of propriety or humility," from French modeste (14c.), from Latin...
    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
    modesty
    1530s, "freedom from exaggeration, self-control," from French modestie or directly from Latin modestia "moderation, sense of honor, correctness of conduct," from modestus "moderate, keeping due measure, sober, gentle, temperate," from modus "measure, manner" (from PIE root *med-
    reserve
    mid-14c., "keep back or in store for future use;" late 14c., "keep as one's own," from Old French reserver "set aside, withhold" (12c.) and directly from Latin reservare "keep back, save up; retain, preserve," from re- "back" (see re-) + servare "to keep, save, preserve, protect"

    Share propriety

    Advertisement
    Trending
    Dictionary entries near propriety
    Advertisement