inappropriate
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inappropriate
First recorded in 1795–1805; in- 3 + appropriate
Explanation
The word "appropriate" means correct or proper and since the little prefix "in" turns its meaning around, something inappropriate is considered not proper or suitable. Nowadays, it seems, anything goes. Yet good manners and standards prevail, and some things are simply inappropriate — such as taking a toddler to a violent movie, or making jokes at someone else's expense. You wouldn't show your future father-in-law naked pictures of his daughter or wear a bathing suit to a state dinner. Those actions are simply inappropriate.
Vocabulary lists containing inappropriate
Fish in a Tree
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Nothing But the Truth
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Game Changer
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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.
The 44-year-old says there's a "bit of an uproar" about inappropriate messages on social media which is leading to more women choosing not to treat men.
From BBC • Jun. 21, 2026
To keep the school under Green Dot would represent an inappropriate continued experiment on kids, she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 17, 2026
A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only 16 percent of Americans viewed hosting the UFC event at the White House as appropriate, while 46 percent considered it inappropriate.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
Most people see a UFC event on the White House lawn as a profoundly inappropriate way to celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary, and I wish I could agree.
From Slate • Jun. 14, 2026
Going up to the house at this time would be more than inappropriate.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
