suitable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of suitable
Explanation
As suitable means appropriate for the purpose, you can imagine that sneakers are more suitable than high heels at a track meet. While suitable always means appropriate for a certain person or situation, sometimes it is not based on fact but merely a matter of opinion. A bicycle is not a suitable mode of transportation during a winter storm because the rider is exposed to the elements. However, the clothing that you think is just fine for school might seem unsuitable to the principal. Unfortunately, he has the final say in that one!
Vocabulary lists containing suitable
The Diary of Anne Frank
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Mr. Popper’s Penguins
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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.
He felt the same about his perch at the University of London; it wasn’t Oxford or Cambridge but, as he observed, “even revolutionaries like to be in a suitable tradition.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Their species is critically endangered and zoologists have found a suitable male breeding match at a zoo in The Netherlands.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Delivering droplets onto the parched crops requires meticulous preparation to identify suitable clouds.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
“This is another level of glitz, but also a completely new play. It’s very suitable for the RSC because it’s so grand, but also modern and very English.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
When Aunty Ifeka’s eyes began to dart around the yard, she knew it was in search of a suitable chicken.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
