opportune
Americanadjective
-
appropriate, favorable, or suitable.
an opportune phrase for the occasion.
- Synonyms:
- propitious, fortunate, apt
-
occurring or coming at an appropriate time; well-timed.
an opportune warning.
- Synonyms:
- convenient
adjective
-
occurring at a time that is suitable or advantageous
-
fit or suitable for a particular purpose or occurrence
Usage
What does opportune mean? Opportune means appropriate, favorable, or suitable for a particular situation or occasion.It can also mean coming at the right time. The terms timely and well-timed mean the same thing.Opportune is especially used in the phrases opportune moment and opportune time, meaning the moment that’s most suitable or favorable (for something to happen or be done).The opposite is inopportune, meaning inappropriate, inconvenient, or untimely, as in The audit was very inopportune—it came at the worst possible time.Example: I believe that now is the opportune time to bring out dessert.
Related Words
Opportune, seasonable, timely refer to something that is particularly fitting or suitable for a certain time. Opportune refers to something that is well-timed and meets exactly the demands of the time or occasion: an opportune remark. Something that is seasonable is right or proper for the time or season or occasion: seasonable weather. Something that is timely occurs or is done at an appropriate time, especially in time to meet some need: timely intervention.
Other Word Forms
- opportunely adverb
- opportuneness noun
- unopportune adjective
- unopportunely adverb
- unopportuneness noun
Etymology
Origin of opportune
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Latin opportūnus “convenient,” equivalent to op- op- + portu-, stem of portus “access,” port 1 + -nus adjective suffix ( u lengthened as in tribūnus tribune 1 )
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.
Licensing for movies and TV is also booming, and with Y2K nostalgia permeating today’s media, Spears may be selling at an opportune time.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026
They sketched out priorities and drafted legislative language on whiteboards, then waited for the opportune moment to introduce a bill.
From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025
For Western navies the improvements come at an opportune time, after China built the world’s largest surface naval fleet and its own large autonomous underwater vehicles.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025
Nor does BTD, he notes, do much as a complement to existing stock allocations as a way to increase or decrease exposure tactically at opportune times.
From Barron's • Dec. 10, 2025
The job was an opportune beginning and a colossal relief.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
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.
