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

Earlier, President Trump backed her for the role, saying it would be a fitting tribute to her brother, who died Saturday at the age of 71.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026

"These are modern times," she told AFP during the fitting for Luna's dress.

From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026

“When I was there for my first fitting, I was talking to the wardrobe people. I said I kind of felt like furniture. And they said, ‘That’s because you haven’t read the 10th episode.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

Perhaps the writing was on the wall when Beaumont was left out of the one-day squad earlier this summer, but she will get a fitting farewell in the first women's Test at Lord's.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

She knows this is a gift, a message of fitting in.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

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

"But I was thrown in the deep end, because by the time we arrived in London, there was less than a week to go. I only had time for two dress fittings."

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

By the end of the fittings, Hallyday had recut and resewn all three pieces several times, adjusting shades of white, reworking the skirt’s fabrics and refining the jacket’s cut, which was her biggest challenge.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026

NSI, a portfolio company of Sentinel Capital Partners, provides electrical fittings, connectors, components and wire-management products.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 4, 2026

Light crews like Nailer’s tore at the ship’s small fittings, stripping copper, brass, nickel, aluminum, and stainless steel.

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

Related Words

• apt
• felicitous
• proper