Improperly

How to spell improperly

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce improperly

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does improperly mean?

1. adverbIn a way that is incorrect, unsuitable, or against accepted standards.

Improperly in a sentence

• The equipment failed because it had been improperly installed.

• The funds were improperly recorded in the company accounts.

Where does improperly come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin proprius, meaning 'one's own' or 'belonging to oneself', which gave rise to the idea of something being fitting, suitable, or correct. From proprius came the Late Latin proprie and the adjective that English borrowed through Old French as 'proper' in the 1300s, originally carrying the sense of 'belonging to' before broadening to mean 'correct' or 'appropriate'. The negative prefix im-, a form of in- meaning 'not', was attached to give 'improper', and the adverbial -ly suffix was then added to describe an action done in an unfitting or incorrect manner. The same proprius root still lives openly in words such as 'property', 'appropriate', and 'proprietor'. The chief spelling trap is the double consonant created when im- meets proper, producing the 'mpr' cluster, plus the unstressed middle vowel that is easy to slur in speech.

How the word is built

• im- (not)
• proper (root, from Latin proprius 'one's own, fitting')
• -ly (adverb suffix)