properly
adverb
prop·er·ly
ˈprä-pər-lē 
: in a proper manner:
a
: in an acceptable or suitable way
behaving properly
trying to get the system to work properly
"Oh yes, I am not at all ashamed of it. I would have everybody marry if they can do it properly."—
Jane Austen
Jane Austen
b
: in an accurate or correct way
It might more properly be termed a musical device than a musical form.—Aaron Copland
Aaron CoplandScoop out the seeds (properly called arils, a botanical term that includes the tiny actual seeds and the juicy, edible pulp around them).—David Karp
David KarpSynonyms
Examples of properly in a Sentence
the scouts were properly dressed for a week of camping
Recent Examples on the Web
Companies have to do an inspection at least once a month to make sure tires, brakes and kickstands are operating properly.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 21 May 2024
Annie couldn’t get properly seated, and grabbed the chairlift to keep from falling.
—Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 20 May 2024
The regime’s morality police arrested and tortured Amini for failing to properly cover her hair, as required by the Islamic nation’s strict dress code.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 20 May 2024
As a result, the seat beat warning light will not illuminate and can cause the supplemental restraint system (SRS) to not deploy properly during a crash.
—Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 20 May 2024
ATVs are often used by anglers and others during low-snow periods of winter, such as early ice in December and late ice in spring and during winters with little snow (like the most recent) when snowmobiles can’t operate properly.
—John Myers, Twin Cities, 19 May 2024
Just to make sure the seller abides by real estate’s golden rule, have the closing agent withhold a chunk of money at settlement to cover the cost of removing the seller’s stuff and cleaning the place properly, if necessary.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 19 May 2024
As Mental Floss reported, the first five buildings were not built properly — instead of demolishing them, they were simply buried as more buildings were built on top of them, providing the Illuminati with a secret underground lair.
—Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2024
For instance, in New York state applicants can expect to wait one to two years to receive New York state approval assuming the application was properly completed.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 16 May 2024
Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 21 May 2024
Annie couldn’t get properly seated, and grabbed the chairlift to keep from falling.
—Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 20 May 2024
The regime’s morality police arrested and tortured Amini for failing to properly cover her hair, as required by the Islamic nation’s strict dress code.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 20 May 2024
As a result, the seat beat warning light will not illuminate and can cause the supplemental restraint system (SRS) to not deploy properly during a crash.
—Ahjané Forbes, USA TODAY, 20 May 2024
ATVs are often used by anglers and others during low-snow periods of winter, such as early ice in December and late ice in spring and during winters with little snow (like the most recent) when snowmobiles can’t operate properly.
—John Myers, Twin Cities, 19 May 2024
Just to make sure the seller abides by real estate’s golden rule, have the closing agent withhold a chunk of money at settlement to cover the cost of removing the seller’s stuff and cleaning the place properly, if necessary.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 19 May 2024
As Mental Floss reported, the first five buildings were not built properly — instead of demolishing them, they were simply buried as more buildings were built on top of them, providing the Illuminati with a secret underground lair.
—Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2024
For instance, in New York state applicants can expect to wait one to two years to receive New York state approval assuming the application was properly completed.
—Jasmine Browley, Essence, 16 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'properly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near properly
Cite this Entry
“Properly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/properly. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
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