appropriate
Americanadjective
-
suitable or fitting for a particular purpose, person, occasion, etc..
an appropriate example;
an appropriate dress.
- Antonyms:
- inept, inappropriate, unsuitable
-
belonging to or peculiar to a person; proper.
Each played his appropriate part.
verb (used with object)
-
to set apart, authorize, or legislate for some specific purpose or use.
The legislature appropriated funds for the university.
-
to take to or for oneself; take possession of.
-
to take without permission or consent; seize; expropriate.
He appropriated the trust funds for himself.
-
to steal, especially to commit petty theft.
adjective
-
right or suitable; fitting
-
rare particular; own
they had their appropriate methods
verb
-
to take for one's own use, esp illegally or without permission
-
to put aside (funds, etc) for a particular purpose or person
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
appropriatenessnoun
-
appropriativenessnoun
-
appropriatornoun
-
reappropriateverb (used with object)
-
appropriableadjective
-
appropriativeadjective
-
nonappropriativeadjective
-
quasi-appropriateadjective
-
well-appropriatedadjective
-
appropriatelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
appropriatesimple
-
appropriatessimple
-
have appropriatedperfect
-
has appropriatedperfect
-
am appropriatingprogressive
-
are appropriatingprogressive
-
is appropriatingprogressive
-
have been appropriatingperfect progressive
-
has been appropriatingperfect progressive
Past
-
appropriatedsimple
-
had appropriatedperfect
-
was appropriatingprogressive
-
were appropriatingprogressive
-
had been appropriatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of appropriate
First recorded in 1515–25; from Late Latin appropriātus “made one's own” (past participle of appropriāre ), equivalent to Latin ap- ap- 1 + propri(us) “one's own, special, particular” + -ātus -ate 1
Explanation
Something appropriate is correct and fits the situation. A sweater-vest with reindeer on it is appropriate holiday apparel, even if it's totally embarrassing. The adjective appropriate is used when something is suitable or fitting. It comes from the Latin appropriare, which means "to make something fit, to make something one's own." Going back even further, appropriate is related to the Latin word proprius, "to belong to a person, thing, or group." Another appropriate way to use this word is as a verb, meaning to steal or seize something, the way you'd appropriate your sister's sandwich if she left it sitting near you.
Vocabulary lists containing appropriate
Academic Vocabulary Toolkit 1, Words 1-10
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Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Declaration of the Rights of Woman (1791)
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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.
See Examples For:
If he dies while living alone, access to his residence may initially be limited until the appropriate person is authorized to secure the property.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 17, 2026
Pakistan instructed Ervin Graves to work on efforts "for the resumption of... appropriate high-level bilateral defence and security dialogue mechanisms".
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Governments across Australia will also work together to ensure large data centers “are built in the most appropriate locations, and with input from local communities,” he added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026
Their scenic travels will take them to Spain and Monaco, each location introduced with a typographically appropriate title card.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
By law, children under a certain weight have to ride in the back, strapped into an appropriate car seat or booster.
From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith
Imagine Congress appropriates billions of dollars for TSA upgrades.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2025
We want to ensure that funding is available, that Congress appropriates the right amount, and that states can operate their programs as needed to provide WIC services.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2024
Reed included the language in a dedicated subsection of the Senate report accompanying the bill, which appropriates the money that funds the activities of the State Department among other priorities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2023
On the other hand, it allocates — or appropriates — money to carry out those policies.
From Washington Times ● Jun. 18, 2023
This bright polished surface appropriates but a very small portion of the radiant heat.
From Lectures on Ventilation Being a Course Delivered in the Franklin Institute of Philadelphia by Leeds, Lewis W.
Conservative intellectuals in the U.S. appropriated Disraeli as an exemplar of temperament and principle.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
“We are working with Congress to spend appropriated balances and find the right future-appropriated level for global health,” the spokesperson said.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
On top of that, she has allegedly appropriated their mother’s gold charm bracelet, the family silverware set, the coin collection and anything else she thinks she deserves.
From MarketWatch ● May 25, 2026
Under federal law, funds appropriated by Congress cannot be used to prevent a member of Congress from entering or inspecting a detention facility operated by or for Homeland Security.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2026
In Germany, however, Taylor’s idea was picked up, and effectively appropriated, by a theorist named Alfred Wegener, a meteorologist at the University of Marburg.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
To Palantir’s old guard, the FDE remains as deeply misunderstood as ever, despite its newfound fame — a role that rivals are culturally appropriating while ignoring the often grueling engineering process it entails.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 4, 2026
The memo concluded that Congress still needs to pass “express language appropriating funds for back pay for furloughed employees, or such payments cannot be made.”
From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2025
China-born Canadian actor Simu Liu, who appeared as the show’s “first celebrity Dragon,” took issue with the business, accusing the founders of culturally appropriating bubble tea.
From Salon ● May 17, 2025
Liu pushed back against the entrepreneurs, accusing them of appropriating the Taiwanese drink, known as boba or bubble tea, which has became popular around the world.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2024
Ofelia took to appropriating Celia’s dresses and shoes.
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
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.
