apt
[ apt ]
/ æpt /
adjective
inclined; disposed; given; prone: too apt to slander others.
likely: 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.
Archaic. prepared; ready; willing.
RELATED CONTENT
RELATED WORDS
relevant, appropriate, felicitous, fitting, apropos, suitable, correct, happy, likely, prone, adept, intelligent, able, smart, applicable, apposite, befitting, fit, germane, just
Nearby words
apsidal motion, apsidiole, apsis, apsu, apsyrtus, apt, apt., apteral, apterium, apterous, apterygial
Origin of apt
1350–1400; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Latin aptus fastened, fitted, fitting, appropriate, equivalent to ap- fasten, attach + -tus past participle suffix
Related forms
Synonym study
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
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.
Definition for apt (2 of 2)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for apt
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
aptly, adverbaptness, nounWord Origin for apt
C14: from Latin aptus fitting, suitable, from apere to fasten
British Dictionary definitions for apt (2 of 2)
apt.
abbreviation for plural apts.
apartment
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