Read along with the three podcasts, or open the full dictionary entry for Proper for the definition, Arabic meaning, synonyms and example sentences.
Narrator: Today's word is "Proper" — adjective, pronounced /ˈprɒpə/, with the stress on "prop".
Narrator: Proper means correct, suitable, or real and genuine.
Narrator: In plain English, proper means right or real.
Narrator: It comes from the Latin proprius, one's own.
Narrator: A common collocation is "a proper meal", which describes a real, filling meal.
Narrator: It differs from "appropriate", because proper can also mean genuine, not just suitable.
Narrator: In grammar, a proper noun names a specific person or place, with a capital letter.
Narrator: Grammar, etiquette, British slang and law all rely on the word.
Narrator: So remember: proper means right, real and fitting.
Speaker A: Why do British people say "proper good"?
Speaker B: It's slang for really good! PROPER comes from the Latin proprius, one's own.
Speaker A: So it can intensify?
Speaker B: Informally, yes.
Speaker A: Example sentences?
Speaker B: "Have a proper breakfast", real. "Use the proper tools", correct. "London is a proper noun", grammar.
Speaker A: Common mistakes?
Speaker B: Use proper as an intensifier only in informal speech, not formal writing.
Speaker A: Close relatives?
Speaker B: Correct is its cousin, appropriate is its twin, and genuine is the real alternative, but proper keeps its British charm!
Speaker B: Let's use "proper" in AI prompts — useful for grammar tools and code quality.
Speaker A: How would grammar tools use it?
Speaker B: Capitalise.
Prompt: Capitalise every proper noun in this text and list what you changed.
Speaker A: And code quality?
Speaker B: Error handling.
Prompt: Add proper error handling to this API call with retries and user-friendly messages.
Speaker A: Could it help recipes?
Speaker B: Yes, techniques.
Prompt: Explain the proper way to rest a steak after cooking.
Speaker A: One more?
Speaker B: Formality.
Prompt: Replace informal uses of proper meaning very in this report.
Proper — meaning in Arabic & definition More P courses GL Dictionary