apt
adjective
apt
1 American
[apt]
/ æpt /
adjective
-
inclined; disposed; given; prone.
too apt to slander others.
- Synonyms:
- liable
-
Am I apt to find him at home?
-
unusually intelligent; able to learn quickly and easily.
an apt pupil.
-
suited to the purpose or occasion; appropriate.
an apt metaphor; a few apt remarks on world peace.
- Synonyms:
- felicitous, germane, meet, fitting
-
Archaic. prepared; ready; willing.
apt.
2
American
abbreviation
-
apts
plural
apt
1
British
/ æpt /
adjective
-
suitable for the circumstance or purpose; appropriate
-
(postpositive; foll by an infinitive) having a tendency (to behave as specified)
-
having the ability to learn and understand easily; clever (esp in the phrase an apt pupil )
apt.
2
British
abbreviation
Usage
Some usage guides insist that apt followed by an infinitive can or should be used to mean only “inclined, disposed”: He is apt to ignore matters he regards as unimportant. In fact, apt is standard in all varieties of speech and writing as a synonym for likely in contexts that suggest probability without any implication of a natural disposition toward: Hostilities are apt to break out if the confrontation is not soon resolved. She is apt to arrive almost any time now. See also liable, likely.
Synonym Usage
Apt, pertinent, relevant all refer to something suitable or fitting. Apt means to the point and particularly appropriate: an apt comment. Pertinent means pertaining to the matter in hand: a pertinent remark. Relevant means directly related to and important to the subject: a relevant opinion.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of apt1
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin aptus “fastened, fitted, fitting, appropriate,” equivalent to ap(ere) “fasten, attach” + -tus past participle suffix
Origin of apt.2
First recorded in 1900–05
Explanation
Something apt is perfectly appropriate, clever and well-suited to the matter at hand. If your room is small and dark, “cave-like” would be an apt description. The wee cousin of aptitude, apt has the same root meaning of "strength and ideal appropriateness." An apt description or nickname is one that’s just right. Apt can also be used in the form "to be apt to" meaning "to be likely to" do something. You’re apt to use this word more now that you know precisely what it means!
Vocabulary lists containing apt
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act III
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List 8
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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:
Part of the scarab family, the beetle has an apt name: they munch on soft-skinned fruits such as figs and grapes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Your property taxes, insurance, maintenance and other expenses are apt to rise over time.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
The headline of the Guardian gives an apt summary: "Burnham steps in to order review in row over early prison release".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Her awareness of this ever-present risk lends the book its gravity; her description of lifeguarding as a job “both mundane and extraordinary” is apt.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
He seemed like a person for whom the word “jolly” would always be apt.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“As hundred-year comparators go, that’s apt. But fusion would be like fire” in its watershed effect on civilization.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 6, 2026
“The name Reset feels apt. We definitely feel like we are taking a break from civilization.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2025
He references the North Korean leader's description of Americans as "bloodthirsty dogs" but suggests "that metaphor's not very apt. We're just a bunch of simple fidget-spinning goofy dorks, who probably couldn't find your country on a map."
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2017
Actually, it could buy you a better apt. than any of those shown, in a great location, and leave a huge chunk to buy a nice upstate house.
From New York Times ● Jan. 16, 2015
L. S. N. 70° W. 21/2 ms to apt. on S. S. passed a Sand bar-N 60° W 31/2 ms. to a pt. on S. S. passed Plumb.
From The Journals of Lewis and Clark, 1804-1806 by Meriwether Lewis
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.
