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

With a few strokes of his pencil, Filippo Sorcinelli brought to life a flowing liturgical robe -- fitting for the man whose artistry and faith have cemented an international reputation for one-of-a-kind ecclesiastical attire.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

Under the new regime, Boeing, which was a Seattle institution as well as manufacturing legend, began outsourcing, with Dreamliner parts coming in from around the globe, not always fitting together and resulting in flawed craft.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

On a team with 11 seniors, Seung is fitting right in with a fearless attitude and competitive drive.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026

Pope added that he hoped people would take her musical legacy seriously now, and said the solar eclipse was a "fitting treat".

From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026

Nothing Big Ma held up to me had a prayer of fitting.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia

"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

Archaeologists uncovered more than 5,000 fragments of painted wall plaster, along with bronze fittings from doors and windows, pointing to richly decorated structures.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 5, 2026

Little metal was used in our straps and fittings, but the harnesses had buckles of aluminum alloy, too fine to fasten with mittens on, which burned in that cold exactly as if they were red-hot.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• apt
• felicitous
• proper