Seemly | A Proper SAT Vocabulary Word
SEEMLY seems easy, but... Does it mean what you think it means?
This is one of those words that students often confuse with "seemingly" (which means something totally different). Knowing the real meaning gives you an edge on test day.
📚️ Definition of Seemly
Seemly (adjective): Conforming to accepted standards of good taste, propriety, or correct behavior; appropriate and becoming for the situation. Example: seemly conduct at a formal ceremony.
🗣️ Pronunciation of Seemly
IPA: /ˈsiːm.li/ (See IPA key)
Respelling: SEEM-lee
📰 Examples of Seemly
Here are some examples of the word seemly:
It’s hardly seemly to giggle, even quietly, at someone’s public gaffe.
Victorian etiquette manuals devoted entire chapters to seemly a person’s actual conduct, addressing situations from the proper angle of a handshake to the acceptable volume of laughter in public.
“For myself, it is neither seemly to keep silence nor is it easy to speak my mind, as I do not hold the office of aedile, praetor, or consul.” — Tacitus in The Annals, translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb (1876)
🎨 Vocab Card
For paid subscribers, I offer a custom image to help remember the word. You can see myriad examples of the graphics I make to illustrate the words in the archives.
