different between propriety vs properness

English

Etymology

From Late Middle English propriete (“ownership”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman propreté, Middle French proprieté, from Latin propriet?s. Doublet of property.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /p???p?a??ti/
• Rhymes: -a??ti

Noun

propriety (countable and uncountable, plural proprieties)

1. (obsolete) The particular character or essence of someone or something; individuality. [15th-20th c.]
2. (obsolete) A characteristic; an attribute. [15th-20th c.]
3. (now rare) A piece of land owned by someone; someone's property. [from 16th c.]
4. (obsolete) More generally, something owned by someone; a possession. [16th-19th c.]
   • 1723, Charles Walker, Memoirs of the Life of Sally Salisbury:

     I was fearful of giving You a very sensible Disgust, in making You seem the Propriety of one Man, when You know Yourself ordained for the Comfort and Refreshment of Multitudes.

5. The fact of possessing something; ownership. [from 16th c.]
6. (now rare) Correct language or pronunciation. [from 17th c.]
7. Suitability, fitness; the quality of being appropriate. [from 18th c.]
   • 1773, Oliver Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer

     I find such a pleasure, sir, in obeying your commands, that I take care to observe them without ever debating their propriety.

   • 1850, Edward Ralph May, "Speech on African American Suffrage"

     Now, if we may, with propriety, refer to the people one question, why may we not, with equal propriety, refer another?

8. (often in the plural) Correctness in behaviour and morals; good manners, seemliness. [from 19th c.]
   • 1811, Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility, Chapter 12:

     Elinor then ventured to doubt the propriety of her receiving such a present from a man so little, or at least so lately known to her.

Related terms

• proper

Translations

References

• "Propriety" at Dictionary.com

English

Etymology

From proper +? -ness.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?p??.p?.n?s/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?p??.p?.n?s/

Noun

properness (usually uncountable, plural propernesses)

1. The state or condition of being proper; propriety.
2. (mathematics) The state or condition of being proper (of a proper fraction, proper subset, etc.).
3. (obsolete) Excellence, quality.
   • , II.3.2:

     Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits […] betook himself to his beads, and by those means got more honour than ever he should have done with the use of his limbs and properness of person […]