improperly
improperly — adverb
1. by acting dishonestly or by breaking a law, a rule, or accepted professional sta
by acting dishonestly or by breaking a law, a rule, or accepted professional standards.
The auditor found that Mira had improperly transferred company funds into her personal account.
passive-adjacent: improperly + past participle (transferred)
Two officers were dismissed after acting improperly during the protest in Antonia's neighbourhood.
verb + improperly for misconduct
The judge ruled that the evidence had been obtained improperly and could not be used at trial.
Ziad was accused of improperly using his position on the committee to help a close friend.
Several donations had been recorded improperly, so the charity ordered a full audit of its accounts.
- dishonestly
more direct; implies deliberate cheating
- unlawfully
specifically about breaking laws, not softer rules
- wrongfully
formal; suggests injustice was done to someone
文法句型
verb + improperly
improperly + past participle
用法筆記
Frequently passive and frequently legal/institutional: 'obtained improperly', 'improperly disclosed', 'acted improperly'. Distinguish from sense 2 — sense 1 implies wrongdoing or dishonesty, while sense 2 just means unsuitable.
常見錯誤
2. using a method that does not fit the situation or that does not produce the expe
using a method that does not fit the situation or that does not produce the expected result, even when no rule has been broken.
The medicine had been stored improperly, so the pharmacist refused to sell any of the bottles.
improperly + past participle (stored) for unsuitable handling
Putri's seatbelt was fastened improperly, which the driving instructor pointed out before they set off.
improperly + past participle (fastened) for incorrect use
The children were dressed improperly for the cold weather, with thin jackets and no hats or gloves.
Many of the tools had been labelled improperly, so the workers could not find the right ones quickly.
- incorrectly
more neutral; widely used in everyday contexts
- unsuitably
emphasises that something does not fit the situation
- correctly
in the right way
- appropriately
in a way that fits the situation
文法句型
improperly + past participle
verb + improperly
用法筆記
Often pairs with verbs about handling, storing, dressing, or labelling something. Distinguish from sense 1 — no ethical wrongdoing is implied, just an unsuitable or incorrect choice.
常見錯誤
improperly — adjective
1. behaving without the politeness, modesty, or refined manners that a social situa
behaving without the politeness, modesty, or refined manners that a social situation calls for.
Chiara felt the comments were improperly personal for a first business meeting and changed the subject.
improperly + adjective for breach of good taste
Ife was warned that her jokes at the funeral had been improperly timed and upset several relatives.
improperly + past participle (timed) for tasteless behaviour
Leo's shirt was improperly unbuttoned at the formal dinner, which the host quietly pointed out to him.
Some guests felt the host had behaved improperly by asking such direct questions about their salaries.
- indecorously
very formal; lacking good taste in public
- tactlessly
focuses on hurting feelings through poor judgement
- tastefully
in a way that shows good taste and manners
文法句型
be + improperly + adjective phrase
用法筆記
Often modifies a past participle or adjective describing dress, speech, or behaviour. Common in social or formal-event contexts.
2. in a way that does not match what a particular design, situation, or purpose nee
in a way that does not match what a particular design, situation, or purpose needs.
The roof tiles had been improperly sized for the old wooden frame, so rainwater leaked into Ishaan's attic.
improperly + past participle (sized) for design mismatch
Christopher's hiking boots were improperly chosen for the icy mountain trail his cousin had recommended.
improperly + past participle (chosen) for purpose mismatch
Many of the camera lenses had been improperly matched to the body and produced blurry photos.
The new software is improperly configured for the small offices that bought it last spring.
- unsuitably
more neutral; common in everyday speech
- inappropriately
wider scope; covers both fit and social fitness
- suitably
in a way that fits the design or purpose
文法句型
improperly + past participle
用法筆記
Distinguish from adverb sense 2 — the adjective focuses on how something fits a design or purpose, often technical. Object is usually equipment, tools, clothing, or settings.
3. in a way that is not built or named in the regular way that the rules of a syste
in a way that is not built or named in the regular way that the rules of a system would predict.
Botanists say the plant is improperly called a lily, because it belongs to a different family altogether.
improperly + passive verb (called) for misnaming
Takeshi explained that the fraction was improperly written, with a numerator larger than its denominator.
improperly + past participle (written) for non-standard form
Many sea creatures are improperly grouped with fish, even though they belong to very different animal families.
Élise pointed out that the chemical was improperly named in the textbook and gave the correct term.
- loosely
less technical; suggests informal use of a term
- non-standardly
rare; focuses on deviation from a formal system
- regularly
in line with the normal rules of a system
文法句型
improperly + verb
用法筆記
Mostly scientific or technical. Often appears in 'improperly called X' or 'improperly named X' to flag that a common label does not follow the formal classification rules.
4. in a way that does not match the true facts or the correct steps of a process.
in a way that does not match the true facts or the correct steps of a process.
The court ruled that the contract had been improperly signed and was therefore not legally binding.
improperly + past participle (signed) for procedural error
Iker's blood sample was improperly labelled at the clinic, so the lab had to run the test a second time.
improperly + past participle (labelled) for procedural mistake
Several ballots had been improperly counted, prompting a careful recount under the supervision of three judges.
The records had been improperly filed for years, making it nearly impossible to trace the original payment.
- incorrectly
more neutral; everyday equivalent
- wrongly
broader; covers errors of fact and judgement
- correctly
matching the facts or the right procedure
文法句型
improperly + past participle
用法筆記
Object is usually a formal step, record, or document. Distinguish from sense 1 — sense 4 means a procedure was not done correctly; sense 1 implies dishonesty.
5. in a way that wrongs another person and would be treated as unlawful by a court.
in a way that wrongs another person and would be treated as unlawful by a court.
The judge found that Antonia had been improperly dismissed and ordered the company to pay her two years of wages.
improperly + past participle (dismissed) in employment law
The family argued that their land had been improperly seized by the city without proper compensation.
improperly + past participle (seized) for unlawful action against a person
Mira's lawyer claimed she had been improperly detained at the airport for nearly six hours without any explanation.
The pension scheme had been improperly administered, and many retired teachers lost part of their savings.
- wrongfully
close synonym in legal contexts; common in fixed phrases like 'wrongfully dismissed'
- unlawfully
specifically against the law; sharper than 'improperly'
- lawfully
in a way the law permits
文法句型
improperly + past participle
用法筆記
Strong legal connotation. Common with verbs of dismissal, detention, seizure, or administration. Distinguish from sense 1 — sense 5 stresses that an actionable wrong was done to someone, not just a rule was broken.