suitable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
Women’s expanded education and opportunity spread that window across three decades, which raises the odds of running out the biological clock while still looking for a suitable mate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
The nearest suitable cinema involved a 140-mile round trip.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
As adults, they use both flight and vision to search for a suitable host, most often deer, though they sometimes target humans and other mammals.
From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026
The Housing Bureau said over 100 households had already moved out of Lau's building, and that it was helping the 40 that are left to find suitable accommodation.
From Barron's • May 28, 2026
As he described it, his ink “would elude the generally known means of detection, and yet could be rendered visible by a suitable counterpart.”
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
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.
