impropriety
Other forms: improprieties
When the boss's husband shows up at a formal dinner party and proceeds to stuff his pockets full of hors d'oeuvres, no one dares to mention his impropriety above a whisper, especially to the boss.
Impropriety is a violation of a rule of behavior, manners, or etiquette. So while it is fitting and proper to wear a bikini top and a sarong to the beach, to do so at church would be considered an impropriety. Some find a bit of impropriety charming. Somerset Maugham went so far as to say, “Impropriety is the soul of wit.”
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the condition of being unsuitable or offensive
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an unsuitable or offensive demeanorsynonyms: impropernessantonyms:proprietycorrect or appropriate behaviortypes:incorrectnesslack of conformity to social expectationsindelicacythe trait of being indelicate and offensiveindecencythe quality of being indecentpolitical incorrectnessthe use of expressions or actions that can be perceived to exclude or marginalize or insult groups who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated againstunseemlinessa lack of consideration for othersunbecomingnessthe quality of being unbecomingimmodestythe trait of being vain and conceited
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a wrong or indecent act
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an act of undue intimacysynonyms: familiarity, indecorum, liberty
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Vocabulary lists containing impropriety
The Declaration of Sentiments was presented in July 1848 at the first Women's Rights Convention in Seneca Falls. Composed by the abolitionist Elizabeth Cady Stanton, it deliberately echoes the Declaration of Independence by casting women in the role of the oppressed and men in the role of the tyrant. This led to much heated dispute, but it is now recognized as the first step towards the addition of the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution. E-text available here.
Avoid embarrassment and expose yourself to this outrageous list of words related to scams and scandals.
An unflinching look at the brutality of the American slave trade, Draper's novel tells the story of Amari, a young African girl who is enslaved.