What Is a Proper Noun? | Definition & Examples
A proper noun is a noun that serves as the name for a specific place, person, or thing. To distinguish them from common nouns, proper nouns are always capitalised in English.
Proper nouns include personal names, place names, names of companies and organisations, and the titles of books, films, songs, and other media.
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Mr. Smith’s class is reading Much Ado About Nothing.
Her favorite Michael Jackson song was ‘Human Nature‘.
Proper nouns vs common nouns
Proper nouns are defined by contrast with common nouns – that is, if a noun isn’t proper, it’s common, and vice versa.
- Proper nouns name specific people, things, and places. They are always capitalised.
- Common nouns are more general – they name generic types of people, things, and places. They are normally only capitalised at the start of a sentence.
Reza is a teaching assistant at Belmont High School.
The Apollo 11 mission was the first time that humans (Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin) walked on the surface of the Moon.
Articles with proper nouns
Unlike common nouns, proper nouns usually stand on their own, not preceded by any articles or determiners. For example, to refer to someone called Sunita, you usually wouldn’t say ‘the Sunita’, ‘a Sunita’, or ‘that Sunita’ but simply ‘Sunita’.
There are exceptions to this rule, though. The names of some countries and other kinds of organisation are preceded by a definite article (‘the’) – these are names partially made up of nouns that are usually common, such as ‘republic’ or ‘association’. The article itself isn’t capitalised.
The Modern Language Association publishes the MLA Handbook.
Additionally, some proper nouns are always pluralised, and they tend to be preceded by a definite article (which isn’t capitalised).
In the latter half of the twentieth century, life in Northern Ireland was disrupted by the Troubles.
It’s also possible to treat proper nouns more like common nouns – for example, to refer collectively to several people or things with the same name, or to distinguish between them. In these cases, articles, determiners, adjectives, and pluralisation are used in the same way as for common nouns.
No, I don’t mean that Jocelyn, I mean blonde Jocelyn.
I knew a Marieke once.
London is actually quite a common place name. There are 11 Londons in North America alone.
Nouns that can be either proper or common
Many common nouns designating roles become proper when they’re used as (part of) the name of a specific person with that role. For example, words for family roles are capitalised only when they’re used in the same way as names (without any articles or determiners).
Is Granddad coming with us?
Nouns that act as titles (e.g., political, religious, or professional titles) are only capitalised when they are used as part of the name of a specific person holding that title.
The pope who launched the Crusades was Pope Urban II.
The 16th president of the United States was President Lincoln.
The cardinal directions (compass directions: north, east, south, and west) are treated as common nouns. But they’re capitalised when they’re used as part of the name of a specific place or region, or when they’re used in a political or cultural sense.
My family lives in South Shields.
During the Cold War, the world was divided into two opposing political camps, East and West.
Proper adjectives
Adjectives that are derived from proper nouns (and therefore capitalised) are sometimes referred to as proper adjectives. These are often words designating a specific nationality, language, or ethnic group (e.g., ‘Dutch’) or words derived from a person’s name (e.g., ‘Machiavellian’).
I really struggle with German grammar.
I can’t stand bureaucracy. I find it so Kafkaesque.
Frequently asked questions about proper nouns
- What is a proper adjective?
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A proper adjective is an adjective that was derived from a proper noun and is therefore capitalised.
Proper adjectives include words for nationalities, languages, and ethnicities (e.g., ‘Japanese’, ‘Inuit’, ‘French’) and words derived from people’s names (e.g., ‘Bayesian’, ‘Orwellian’).
- Are seasons capitalised?
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The names of seasons (e.g., ‘spring’) are treated as common nouns in English and therefore not capitalised. People often assume they are proper nouns, but this is an error.
The names of days and months, however, are capitalised since they’re treated as proper nouns in English (e.g., ‘Wednesday’, ‘January’).
- What’s the difference between common and proper nouns?
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Common nouns are words for types of things, people, and places, such as ‘dog’, ‘professor’, and ‘city’. They are not capitalised and are typically used in combination with articles and other determiners.
Proper nouns are words for specific things, people, and places, such as ‘Max’, ‘Dr Prakash’, and ‘London’. They are always capitalised and usually aren’t combined with articles and other determiners.
Sources for this article
We strongly encourage students to use sources in their work. You can cite our article (APA Style) or take a deep dive into the articles below.
This Scribbr articleCaulfield, J. (2022, December 02). What Is a Proper Noun? | Definition & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 3 December 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/nouns/proper-noun/
Aarts, B. (2011). Oxford modern English grammar. Oxford University Press.
Butterfield, J. (Ed.). (2015). Fowler’s dictionary of modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
Garner, B. A. (2016). Garner’s modern English usage (4th ed.). Oxford University Press.
