/preuh pruy"i tee/ , n. , pl. proprieties .
1. conformity to established standards of good or proper behavior or manners.
2. appropriateness to the purpose or circumstances; suitability.
3. rightness or justness.
4. the proprieties , the conventional standards of proper behavior; manners: to observe the proprieties.
5. Obs. a property.
6. Obs. a peculiarity or characteristic of something.
[ 1425-75; late ME propriete ownership, something owned, one's own nature (cf. var. proprete PROPERTY) propriété proprietas peculiarity, ownership, equiv. to propri ( us ) PROPER + -etas, var., after vowels, of -itas -ITY ]
Syn. 1. decency, modesty. See etiquette. 2. aptness, fitness, seemliness. 3. correctness.