Jane Austen

Woman is fine for her own satisfaction alone. No man will admire her the more, no woman will like her the better for it. Neatness and fashion are enough for the former, and a something of shabbiness or impropriety will be most endearing to the latter.

British Writer

Michael Wolff

Unlike financial impropriety, which needs to be proven, a charge of sexual loutishness and aggressiveness in and of itself can finish you off. Does the man match the charge? To be the kind of man who would be accused of being so gross is guilt enough.

American Author

David Josiah Brewer

I believe it is conceded that, notwithstanding the fabled blue laws of New England, a man may, without impropriety, kiss his wife on Sunday and possibly, if he have a chance, some other sweet-faced woman.

American Judge

Gary Hamel

An uplifting sense of purpose is more than an impetus for individual accomplishment, it is also a necessary insurance policy against expediency and impropriety.

American Businessman

Next to financial impropriety, being charged with a reckless pursuit of women is certainly the most damaging thing you can accuse a public person of.

Lucy McBath

Our elections are too important to risk even the appearance of impropriety.

American Politician

W. Somerset Maugham

British Playwright

Impropriety varies by culture. What's proper in one society may be improper in another.

Context Matters

'Impropriety' often implies a public perception of something being unsuitable, rather than a personal opinion.

Perception of Wrong

The word is used for slight misalignments with expected behavior or norms, not always for severe wrongdoing.

Subtle Incorrectness

Impropriety often involves a moral or ethical judgment about behavior, particularly in office or public roles.

Moral Connotation

Use 'impropriety' when referring to actions that lead to scandal, especially for high-profile individuals.

Relationship to Scandal

The term doesn't necessarily mean a crime was committed. It's used for actions that are questionable but may not be illegal.

Lesser Than Crime

 to decipher and characterize. If you can get a hashtag trending on Twitter, or chum the waters with fake news directed to audiences primed to receive it, or drive journalists to dissect terabytes of email for a cent of impropriety --