propriety

Some play off a character’s propriety, all profit from the actor’s charm — which might be turned to evil ends but remain, for the viewer, you know, charming.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

But some academics say there are questions to answer over academic propriety.

From BBC ● Aug. 1, 2026

Their propriety is debatable, but as a matter of historical precedent and law, they aren’t war crimes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 15, 2026

When asked by ABC News’ Mary Bruce about the propriety of hosting the prince, the president blithely dismissed the concern.

From Salon ● Nov. 20, 2025

And what about all his talk of honor and propriety, his disapproval of the female customers, who, after all, were only showing him their feet to get fitted for shoes?

From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

He was concerned that if he died intestate, his proprieties would not be passed to Li.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 24, 2023

Little Richard was a challenge to 1950s proprieties: to segregation, to musical decorum, to chastity, to straightness.

From New York Times ● May 10, 2020

White says that the song was a declaration that the White Stripes weren’t going to observe punk proprieties.

From The New Yorker ● Mar. 5, 2017

Did you know that “stickler” was another name for the second, whose chief responsibility, after all, was to make sure that all the proprieties were strictly observed?

From Washington Post ● Jul. 8, 2015

Father had warned me that demons sometimes do not have a feeling for the proprieties.

From "Dragonwings" by Laurence Yep