suitable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of suitable
Explanation
As suitable means appropriate for the purpose, you can imagine that sneakers are more suitable than high heels at a track meet. While suitable always means appropriate for a certain person or situation, sometimes it is not based on fact but merely a matter of opinion. A bicycle is not a suitable mode of transportation during a winter storm because the rider is exposed to the elements. However, the clothing that you think is just fine for school might seem unsuitable to the principal. Unfortunately, he has the final say in that one!
Vocabulary lists containing suitable
The Diary of Anne Frank
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The Watsons Go to Birmingham
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Mr. Popper’s Penguins
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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.
The MetroPark Hotel is suitable for a twin or a double, priced at £1,228 - £205 a night.
From BBC • May 3, 2026
Aimiee Sadler, chief executive of Dogs Playing for Life, said that the program helps make dogs more suitable for adoption and that keeping dogs confined to their kennels is equal to “incarceration.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
A dramatic slowdown could shift which areas are suitable for crops, and food-and-drinks producers are among those asking questions, Hamm said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Curiosity arrived on Mars in 2012 to investigate whether the planet once had conditions suitable for microbial life.
From Science Daily • Apr. 28, 2026
Belet picked up a battle-ax while our audience, the cats, found suitable spots to watch the action.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
