definitions

apt

[ apt ]
/ æpt /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR apt ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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RELATED WORDS

cleanly, nicely, accurately, precisely, methodically, expertly, skillfully, adroitly, efficiently, justly, duly, accordingly, properly, judiciously, ably, handily, neatly, smoothly, nimbly, deftly

Nearby words

apsides, 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

Can be confused

apt likely (see usage note at likely)

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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for aptly

British Dictionary definitions for aptly

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, noun

Word Origin for apt

C14: from Latin aptus fitting, suitable, from apere to fasten
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012