inappropriate
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of inappropriate
First recorded in 1795–1805; in- 3 + appropriate
Explanation
The word "appropriate" means correct or proper and since the little prefix "in" turns its meaning around, something inappropriate is considered not proper or suitable. Nowadays, it seems, anything goes. Yet good manners and standards prevail, and some things are simply inappropriate — such as taking a toddler to a violent movie, or making jokes at someone else's expense. You wouldn't show your future father-in-law naked pictures of his daughter or wear a bathing suit to a state dinner. Those actions are simply inappropriate.
Vocabulary lists containing inappropriate
Fish in a Tree
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Nothing But the Truth
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Game Changer
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The WISeR program — which stands for Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction — is a CMS pilot program that introduced AI-driven prior authorization to traditional Medicare beneficiaries in six states earlier this year.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
According to his LinkedIn, until December he worked as head of production at Inappropriate Laughter Inc.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2024
Inappropriate behaviour has come from "a very small minority", it added.
From BBC • May 14, 2024
Inappropriate or insufficient transitions minimally connect ideas and evidence, which is poorly integrated into sentences.
From Textbooks • Dec. 21, 2021
Extreme Fashion Inappropriate Fancy clothes in mourning are always offenses against good taste, because as the word implies, a person is in mourning.
From Etiquette by Post, Emily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
