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
-
reappropriateverb (used with object)
-
appropriativenessnoun
-
quasi-appropriateadjective
-
appropriatelyadverb
-
nonappropriativeadjective
-
appropriativeadjective
-
appropriatornoun
-
appropriableadjective
-
well-appropriatedadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has appropriatedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have appropriatedperfect
-
are appropriatingprogressive
-
am appropriatingprogressive 1st person singular
-
has been appropriatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
appropriatingparticiple
-
appropriatessingular 3rd person
-
have been appropriatingperfect progressive
-
is appropriatingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had appropriatedperfect
-
had been appropriatingperfect progressive
-
was appropriatingprogressive singular
-
appropriatedsimple
-
appropriatedparticiple
-
were appropriatingprogressive plural
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.
She also noted that patients experiencing cognitive problems during cancer treatment should consult their healthcare provider before starting any intervention to ensure it is appropriate for their individual situation.
From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026
“She clearly should not have been in that position, and efforts were not made to remove her or get her appropriate medical care.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026
"There's a lot of things that happen on screens that aren't social media, but nevertheless, parents worry about how much it's appropriate for their children to be using screens and in what process," she said.
From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026
OpenAI recently said that a government investment fund that owns shares of AI companies might be appropriate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 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
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.
