The ethical dimension of Apropos covers the entire range of human thinking and acting. For example: when someone steals something, he takes possession of it without permission. The thief is situated in the margin of the social spectrum; the approving or disapproving authority is in the center. But both meet in Apropos: taking possession of (appropriation) vs. permission (approval).

The term progresses towards its own antonym through the following series of synonyms for Apropos: