suitable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
- presuitable adjective
- presuitably adverb
- suitability noun
- suitableness noun
- suitably adverb
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.
Now, unless we ask a very simple question, the AI chatbot performs a “chain of thought”: The AI has a conversation with itself to arrive at a suitable answer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
It’s true that Southern California has many great college softball teams with existing facilities, but it would be difficult to prepare to a scale suitable for Olympic athletes, stakeholders, media and fans.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026
The radiochemistry group, led by Katharina Domnanich, prepared the material in a form suitable for use in the experiment.
From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026
Walker said he had been in contact with them and would be prepared to name the responsible individuals from each should suitable disciplinary action not be taken.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
She needed him to leave so that she could take over the ticketing and find herself a suitable meal, which, if he didn’t leave soon, would absolutely end up being Boaz.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
