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

Martin has spoken about a Shakespearean influence on his writing, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre was a fitting venue for the play’s debut, which felt grand in scope and staging.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026

Their proximity also makes the Tellus Science Museum an especially fitting home for one of the first Deinosuchus fossil replicas.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

The site is fitting, since John and Abigail were the White House’s first residents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

The Committee recommends fitting these devices in hospitals and care homes within 10 years, and schools in 25 years.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Even the fun of fitting arms and legs to the doll could not keep Robin from wanting to get out into the fields and away from bench and bed, stool and trundle cart.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

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

That animating spirit courses through “Celtic Art Across the Ages,” a nearly 300-object survey of jewelry, armor, chariot fittings, manuscripts, vessels, coins, carvings and textiles at the Harvard Art Museums, its sole venue.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 29, 2026

They were part of the fixtures and fittings.

From BBC ● Apr. 20, 2026

Its brass fittings were spiky with green rust, but it moved fast through the dark water.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Related Words

• apt
• felicitous
• proper