in accordance with what is appropriate or suitable for the circumstances
"he was appropriately dressed"
"If you don't behave properly, you'll have to leave!"
"I met the junior senator from Illinois and I was duly impressed"
in a proper manner, appropriately, suitably; correctly, justifiably
"The manager refused to sign off on the expense report until it was filled out properly according to company policy."
In plain English: Properly means doing something the right way or exactly as it should be done.
"The teacher asked us to tie our shoes properly before leaving the playground."
Usage: Use properly to indicate that an action is performed in the correct or appropriate way according to standards. Avoid confusing it with "proper," which functions as an adjective rather than an adverb.
Properly is formed by adding the suffix "-ly" to the word "proper." It entered English as a straightforward combination of these two existing elements without any shift in meaning from its original components.