apt

[ apt ]
See synonyms for apt on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. inclined; disposed; given; prone: too apt to slander others.

  2. likely: Am I apt to find him at home?

  1. unusually intelligent; able to learn quickly and easily: an apt pupil.

  2. suited to the purpose or occasion; appropriate: an apt metaphor; a few apt remarks on world peace.

  3. Archaic. prepared; ready; willing.

Origin of apt

1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin aptus “fastened, fitted, fitting, appropriate,” equivalent to ap(ere) “fasten, attach” + -tus past participle suffix

synonym study For apt

4. Apt, pertinent, relevant all refer to something suitable or fitting. Apt means to the point and particularly appropriate: an apt comment. Pertinent means pertaining to the matter in hand: a pertinent remark. Relevant means directly related to and important to the subject: a relevant opinion.

usage note For apt

Some usage guides insist that apt followed by an infinitive can or should be used to mean only “inclined, disposed”: He is apt to ignore matters he regards as unimportant. In fact, apt is standard in all varieties of speech and writing as a synonym for likely in contexts that suggest probability without any implication of a natural disposition toward: Hostilities are apt to break out if the confrontation is not soon resolved. She is apt to arrive almost any time now. See also liable, likely.

Other words for apt

Other words from apt

  • apt·ly, adverb
  • apt·ness, noun
  • o·ver·apt, adjective
  • o·ver·apt·ness, noun

Words Nearby apt

Other definitions for apt. (2 of 2)

apt.

abbreviation,plural apts.

Origin of apt.

2
First recorded in 1900–05

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use apt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for apt (1 of 2)

apt

/ (æpt) /


adjective
  1. suitable for the circumstance or purpose; appropriate

  2. (postpositive; foll by an infinitive) having a tendency (to behave as specified)

  1. having the ability to learn and understand easily; clever (esp in the phrase an apt pupil)

Origin of apt

1
C14: from Latin aptus fitting, suitable, from apere to fasten

Derived forms of apt

  • aptly, adverb
  • aptness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for apt. (2 of 2)

apt.

abbreviation forplural apts.
  1. apartment

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