apt

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin aptus “fastened, fitted, fitting, appropriate,” equivalent to ap(ere) “fasten, attach” + -tus past participle suffix

synonym study for apt

4. 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.

usage note for apt

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.

OTHER WORDS FROM apt

apt·ly, adverbapt·ness, nouno·ver·apt, adjectiveo·ver·apt·ness, noun

Words nearby apt

apsidiole, apsis, Ap star, Apsu, Apsyrtus, apt, apteral, apterium, apterous, apterygial, apterygote

Other definitions for apt (2 of 2)

apt.

abbreviation, plural apts.

apartment (def. 1).

Origin of apt.

First recorded in 1900–05

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT APT

What does apt mean?

Apt means inclined, disposed, or prone to, as in When I’m hungry, I’m apt to be cranky too.

Apt can also mean likely, as in You’re more apt to pass the test if you study first.

Apt also describes something that is suitable or particularly fitting or relevant. An apt description, for example, is a description that is just right.

Finally, apt can also mean unusually intelligent or able to learn quickly and easily. You’ll most often hear it used in the phrase apt pupil or apt student.

Example: That is quite an apt observation coming from a novice.

Where does apt come from?

The first records of the term apt come from the 1300s. It comes from the Latin aptus, meaning “fitting or appropriate.”

Apt. (including the period) is an abbreviation for both apartment and appointment. While the period is often used, it isn’t always. Keep an eye out for apt being used as a shortened form of one of these words. The surrounding text will often give you a clue what the writer means.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to apt?

aptly (adverb)
aptness (noun)
overapt (adjective)
overaptness (noun)

What are some synonyms for apt?

What are some words that share a root or word element with apt?

aptly
overapt
unapt

What are some words that often get used in discussing apt?

How is apt used in real life?

People in negative moods pay more attention to fairness and are more apt to reject unfair offers.

— UberFacts (@UberFacts) August 18, 2018

I look forward to my first visit to the World Economic Forum at Davos, at the invitation of India’s good friend and Founder of the WEF, Prof Klaus Schwab. The theme of the Forum, “Creating a Shared Future in a Fractured World” is both thoughtful and apt. @wef #IndiaMeansBusiness

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 21, 2018

@MelissaLFu showing us a traditional Chinese tea set. How apt for the @BirdandBlendTea bookclub! #PeachBlossomSpring. Out March 2022 https://t.co/uFB2ieRqzp pic.twitter.com/eOsDOelzS0

— Headline Books (@headlinepg) December 9, 2021

Try using apt!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for apt?

A. relevant
B. fitting
C. inappropriate
D. suitable

How to use apt in a sentence

With in-room dining, a single oversight — the wrong wine — can be “a five- or 10-minute mistake,” since servers are apt to be out of view.
Now that’s room service: What it’s like to check into a hotel just for dinner|Tom Sietsema|February 12, 2021|Washington Post
Take a deep breath and pay attention because we’re going to outline the 11 best ways you can use Google Trends to come up with apt keywords.
A comprehensive guide on using Google Trends for keyword research|Aayush Gupta|February 12, 2021|Search Engine Watch
That said, as the platform continues to gain ground, buyers say advertisers will have to invest in creating content specific for TikTok’s highly engaged audience, who is not as apt to interact with material that’s not native to the app experience.
‘The momentum is there’: In 2021, marketers are starting to see TikTok as a staple of the social budget|Kristina Monllos|February 12, 2021|Digiday
Bourquin wanted to see breaking at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, a more apt platform and a friendly way to introduce the sport to Olympic officials, who skew older.
How break dancing made the leap from ’80s pop culture to the Olympic stage|Rick Maese|February 9, 2021|Washington Post

Wildfire seemed a more apt description of the disease than the straightforward scientific discussion of a virus and its vectors, perhaps because “virus” was already in use to describe the disinformation that enabled covid to scorch the Earth.
The virus caused more than a pandemic. It set us all ablaze.|Philip Kennicott|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
But in recent days, I've found Sarah Palin an even more apt comparison.
The IRS Email Double Standard|Matt Lewis|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Today, it's our governing elites, regardless of party, who are most apt rush us into the future.
Our Lame Cult of the Presidency|James Poulos|October 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Experts we talked to said the comparison between Goodell and law enforcement may not necessarily be apt.
Fact-Checking the Sunday Shows: Sept 14|PunditFact.com|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The compilation also brought the Nazi-riffic Apt Pupil and leach-tastic The Body (aka Stand By Me) to the silver screen.
20 Things You Didn’t Know About 'The Shawshank Redemption'|Bill Schulz|August 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their timing is apt: The medical examiner is now a hot commodity in TV-land.
The Dirty Secret Doctors Don't Want You To Know|Kent Sepkowitz|August 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We are apt to think of these little ones as doing right only when under compulsion: but this is far from the truth.
Children's Ways|James Sully
Those of a more serious turn are apt to show a curious preference for the graver aspects of things.
Children's Ways|James Sully
In this country, we are apt to think when any one dresses himself up, that he is disguising a fool.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills
In conversation their minds are apt to remain in a recipient passive state.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
But Bull in authority anywhere is apt to exhibit his horns to those whom he suspects of being nobodies.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

British Dictionary definitions for apt (1 of 2)

apt

/ (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)

Derived forms of apt

aptly, adverbaptness, noun

Word Origin for apt

C14: from Latin aptus fitting, suitable, from apere to fasten

British Dictionary definitions for apt (2 of 2)