improperly
improperly — 副詞
1. by acting dishonestly or by breaking a law, a rule, or accepted professional sta
不正當地
違反法律、規定或誠信原則地
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.
稽核員發現 Mira 不正當地將公司資金轉入自己的個人帳戶。
passive-adjacent: improperly + past participle (transferred)
Two officers were dismissed after acting improperly during the protest in Antonia's neighbourhood.
兩名警官在 Antonia 居住的社區抗議活動中行為不當，事後遭到解職。
verb + improperly for misconduct
The judge ruled that the evidence had been obtained improperly and could not be used at trial.
法官裁定該項證據是以不正當的方式取得，因此不得在審判中使用。
Ziad was accused of improperly using his position on the committee to help a close friend.
Ziad 被指控不正當地利用自己在委員會中的職位，去幫助一位密友。
Several donations had been recorded improperly, so the charity ordered a full audit of its accounts.
好幾筆捐款被以不正當的方式入帳，因此該慈善機構下令對帳目進行全面稽核。
- 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
不適當地
以不符合情境或用途的方式
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.
這批藥品保存方式不適當，因此藥師拒絕販售任何一瓶。
improperly + past participle (stored) for unsuitable handling
Putri's seatbelt was fastened improperly, which the driving instructor pointed out before they set off.
Putri 的安全帶扣得不正確，駕訓教練在出發前就指出了這一點。
improperly + past participle (fastened) for incorrect use
The children were dressed improperly for the cold weather, with thin jackets and no hats or gloves.
那些孩子的穿著不適合這種寒冷的天氣，只穿薄外套，也沒戴帽子或手套。
Many of the tools had been labelled improperly, so the workers could not find the right ones quickly.
許多工具都被貼上了錯誤的標籤，工人因此無法迅速找到合適的那一把。
- 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 — 形容詞
1. behaving without the politeness, modesty, or refined manners that a social situa
失禮的
違反禮節或得體舉止的
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.
Chiara 覺得這些評論對於第一次的商務會面而言太過私人、有失分寸，於是轉換了話題。
improperly + adjective for breach of good taste
Ife was warned that her jokes at the funeral had been improperly timed and upset several relatives.
Ife 被告知她在葬禮上講的笑話時機很不得體，惹怒了好幾位親屬。
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.
Leo 在正式晚宴上襯衫的鈕扣解得有失分寸，主人私下提醒了他。
Some guests felt the host had behaved improperly by asking such direct questions about their salaries.
有些賓客覺得主人那樣直接詢問他們的薪水實在很失禮。
- 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
不合適的
不符合設計或用途需求地
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.
屋頂的瓦片尺寸與那座老舊的木結構不合，所以雨水滲進了 Ishaan 的閣樓。
improperly + past participle (sized) for design mismatch
Christopher's hiking boots were improperly chosen for the icy mountain trail his cousin had recommended.
Christopher 的登山靴並不適合他表哥推薦的那條結冰的山徑。
improperly + past participle (chosen) for purpose mismatch
Many of the camera lenses had been improperly matched to the body and produced blurry photos.
許多相機鏡頭與機身搭配不當，拍出來的照片都是模糊的。
The new software is improperly configured for the small offices that bought it last spring.
這套新軟體並不適合去年春天購買它的那些小型辦公室使用。
- 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
不規範地
未依正式分類或規則命名的
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.
植物學家表示，這種植物被稱作百合並不規範，因為它其實屬於完全不同的科。
improperly + passive verb (called) for misnaming
Takeshi explained that the fraction was improperly written, with a numerator larger than its denominator.
Takeshi 解釋說那個分數寫得不規範，分子比分母還大。
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.
許多海洋生物被籠統地歸類為魚，但牠們其實屬於非常不同的動物類別。
Élise pointed out that the chemical was improperly named in the textbook and gave the correct term.
Élise 指出這個化學物質在教科書中的名稱並不規範，並提供了正確的學名。
- 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.
不正確地
不符合事實或正確程序地
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.
法院裁定該份合約的簽署程序不正確，因此不具法律效力。
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.
Iker 的血液樣本在診所被貼錯標籤，實驗室只好重新做一次檢驗。
improperly + past participle (labelled) for procedural mistake
Several ballots had been improperly counted, prompting a careful recount under the supervision of three judges.
好幾張選票的計票過程不正確，因此在三位法官的監督下進行了仔細的重新計票。
The records had been improperly filed for years, making it nearly impossible to trace the original payment.
這些紀錄多年來都歸檔錯誤，使人幾乎無法追溯到那筆最初的款項。
- 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.
違法地
對他人構成法律上錯誤的方式
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.
法官認定 Antonia 是遭到違法解雇，並下令公司支付她兩年的薪資。
improperly + past participle (dismissed) in employment law
The family argued that their land had been improperly seized by the city without proper compensation.
這家人主張，他們的土地是被市政府違法徵收的，而且未獲得適當的補償。
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.
Mira 的律師宣稱她在機場被違法拘留了將近六個小時，期間沒有得到任何解釋。
The pension scheme had been improperly administered, and many retired teachers lost part of their savings.
這套退休金制度長期以來管理失當，許多退休教師因此損失了部分的存款。
- 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.