fitting

American  

[fit-ing] / ˈfɪt ɪŋ /

adjective

1. suitable or appropriate; proper or becoming.

   Synonyms:

   seemly, decorous, right, meet, fit

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noun

• fittings
  plural

1. the act of a person or thing that fits.

2. an act or instance of trying on clothes that are being made or altered to determine proper fit.

3. anything provided as equipment, parts, supply, etc.

4. Usually fittings. furniture, fixtures, etc., as of a building or apartment.

fitting British  

/ ˈfɪtɪŋ /

adjective

1. appropriate or proper; suitable

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noun

1. an accessory or part

   an electrical fitting

2. (plural) furnishings or accessories in a building

3. work carried out by a fitter

4. the act of trying on clothes so that they can be adjusted to fit

5. size in clothes or shoes

   a narrow fitting

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• fittingness
  noun
• underfitting
  noun
• self-fitting
  adjective
• unfitting
  adjective
• well-fitting
  adjective
• fittingly
  adverb
• unfittingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• fittings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of fitting

First recorded in 1525–35; fit ¹ + -ing ², -ing ¹

Explanation

Something fitting is perfectly appropriate or proper — it's just right. When someone finds your beloved lost turtle, it's fitting to offer them a reward, or at least a sincere thanks. If your cousin loves ponies, a pony theme is a fitting choice for his birthday party. As a noun, fitting has a completely different meaning. A clothing fitting is the process of trying on an outfit to see how it fits. A hardware or plumbing fitting is one small piece that fits into a bigger system. The thing all of these definitions have in common is the root word fit.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fitting fittings

Edwin Austin, of the British military police, gives a brief but fitting eulogy: “Let the worm go to the worms.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

"When we brought them in, it was about fitting the psychology of the dressing room. No-one thought they were better than anyone else, they played for each other."

From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026

Well before his alter ego materialized, and well before Hollywood found him, MacLachlan was prone to anxiety and fears of never fitting in.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

But fitting all the evidence into one explanation remains difficult.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026

The Louvre hired a firm that specialized in glazing, the art of glass fitting and sizing, but even these skilled workmen had to redo the job multiple times before the curators were satisfied.

From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day

"We went for fittings straight away, and it went from there."

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

They won’t be familiar with how certain fixtures and fittings operate — from sliding doors to shower handles — and things will inevitably get broken.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

Over the course of two more fittings, Heifner made similar small tweaks.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

Juniors, age 17 and under, play for half the adult rates, and an instruction center offers club fittings, mental coaching, programming and daily clinics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2026

The horse was dark and shiny, outfitted with black leather and an assortment of brass fittings and worn ropes.

From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick

Related Words

• apt
• felicitous
• proper