A proper fraction is a type of fraction where the numerator, or the top number, is less than the denominator, or the bottom number. This means that the value of a proper fraction is always less than one. For example, in the fraction 3/4, the numerator 3 is smaller than the denominator 4. Proper fractions are commonly used in everyday situations, such as cooking or measuring. They help represent parts of a whole, making it easier to understand quantities. For instance, if you have 1/2 of a pizza, it indicates that you have one part out of two equal parts of the whole pizza.