IMPROPRIETY


Meaning of IMPROPRIETY in English

|im+ noun

Etymology: French or Late Latin; French impropriété, from Late Latin improprietat-, improprietas, from Latin improprius improper + -tat-, -tas -ty — more at improper

1. : the quality or state of being improper

shocked by the impropriety of the young man's action

guilty of impropriety of speech and indecency of dress

saw no impropriety in giving preferment to personal friends and relatives — W.E.Stevens

2. : something improper : an unsuitable or improper act or remark

puns and jokes and pungent improprieties — Times Literary Supplement

specifically : an unacceptable use of a word or of language

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.