[quote]prop·er ˈpräpər/ adjective 1. truly what something is said or regarded to be; genuine. "she's never had a proper job" synonyms: real, genuine, actual, true, bona fide; informalkosher "he's not a proper scientist" antonyms: fake strictly so called; in its true form. "some of the dos and don'ts in espionage proper" BRITISHinformal used as an intensifier, often in derogatory contexts. "she looked like a proper harlot"[/quote] "Proper" is in fact a word.