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)
-
appropriates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
appropriated,
past participle, past
-
appropriating
present participle
-
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:
"This is stepping into the area of making decisions and we don't think that's appropriate."
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
“We take allegations of inappropriate conduct seriously and will take appropriate action, as warranted, consistent with Postal Service policies,” the statement said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
Another supporter, 52-year-old Bilal, expressed hope that Khan, a former World Cup-winning cricket captain, would receive appropriate medical treatment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026
You are an interested party, so I don’t believe you are the most appropriate person to field these questions from an attorney on her behalf.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026
“No, in fact I don’t think it appropriate for an employee to send something like that. I wonder, is Bob thinking about asking you for a raise?”
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Quite the opposite, the best the majority could come up with is that “Congress would have ample means to stop that abuse, including, for example through the annual appropriates process.”
From Slate ● Jun. 25, 2026
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
Among billions of dollars appropriated for semiconductor manufacturing and scientific research, the act appropriates $32.5 million to combat sex-based harassment in STEM.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 10, 2023
The doctor, for the benefit of his patient, temporarily transfers to himself and appropriates the devotion which normally belongs to father, brother, husband, son or lover.
From The Unpopular Review, Number 19 July-December 1918 by Various
Every dollar appropriated, he added, would be used to build the "lethality" of US military forces and "reinforce peace through strength".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
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 currently planning to obligate all appropriated balances, consistent with law.”
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
AFP found some of the pottery products first appeared in content from real creators, before being appropriated.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
John and the Williams boys had found one of these and appropriated it for themselves, a sort of clubhouse that was all their own.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
In his appropriating the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, also created and officially named by Congress, the president obtained the National Symphony Orchestra.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026
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
"The internet has made it possible for content to reach spaces and people it was not organically playing to. Unthinkingly appropriating content can have unexpected consequences," she says.
From BBC ● Feb. 19, 2025
The Owner had always believed that there was really only one Talent you needed in this world: The Talent for appropriating other peoples Talents.
From "A Tangle of Knots" by Lisa Graff
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.
