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Synonyms

apt

1 American  
[apt] / æpt /

adjective

  1. inclined; disposed; given; prone.

    too apt to slander others.
    Synonyms:
    liable

  2. likely.

    Am I apt to find him at home?

  3. unusually intelligent; able to learn quickly and easily.

    an apt pupil.
    Synonyms:
    skillful, dexterous, adroit, handy, adaptable, bright, clever

  4. suited to the purpose or occasion; appropriate.

    an apt metaphor; a few apt remarks on world peace.
    Synonyms:
    felicitous, germane, meet, fitting

  5. Archaic. prepared; ready; willing.

apt. 2 American  

abbreviation

plural

apts

  1. apartment.

apt 1 British  
/ æpt /

adjective

  1. suitable for the circumstance or purpose; appropriate

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

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
apt. 2 British  

abbreviation

  1. apartment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

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.

Related Words

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.

Other Word Forms

  • aptly adverb
  • aptness noun
  • overapt adjective
  • overaptness noun

Etymology

Origin of apt1

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

Origin of apt.2

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

Perhaps a more apt quote comes from T.S Eliot: In my beginning is my end.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

Mr. Swaim’s analogy to the Japanese surrender in World War II is in some ways more apt than he allows.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

The Brazilian, although an apt dueller, was caught watching the ball like many zonal markers do.

From BBC • Mar. 8, 2026

And the comparison to Bowie’s West German sojourn is apt: working with his producers, Styles has clearly immersed himself in the avant-garde, taking chances, and embracing idiosyncrasy.

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

Down in that kipple-infested old apt, watching Buster Friendly on her TV set and quaking with fear every time she imagines someone coming down the hall.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

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.