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
- appropriable adjective
- appropriately adverb
- appropriateness noun
- appropriative adjective
- appropriativeness noun
- appropriator noun
- nonappropriative adjective
- quasi-appropriate adjective
- reappropriate verb (used with object)
- well-appropriated adjective
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
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.
Baldy to “carefully assess conditions, carry appropriate gear, and understand their personal limits.”
From Los Angeles Times
Although she praised the care she had received, specialist staff were going to have to come to the emergency department to oversee her rehabilitation because no appropriate bed was available.
From BBC
“A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the president gave an appropriate and unambiguous response,” said Steven Cheung, White House communications director.
“So, this is not about saying that we don’t want to compete, but it’s about avoiding the creation of a parallel ecosystem that has all the same economic properties and risks without appropriate regulation.”
Citing economic research, he said the appropriate response to deregulation-driven increases in competition and productivity is to cut rates to offset downward pressure on prices, rather than allow tighter financial conditions to persist.
From Barron's
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.
