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.
Suitable for the business traveler, it seems an unlikely choice for the emergency housing of migrants.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026
Suitable only for investors who are constructive on a housing/lumber upturn and comfortable with prolonged underperformance.
From Barron's • Dec. 5, 2025
Suitable habitat has plummeted over the last century, with increasingly frequent wildfires adding stress to a system affected by human land and water use.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 1, 2025
"Suitable habitats for rainforest species have been reduced due to direct human activity, such as deforestation" says Tuomisto.
From Science Daily • Feb. 29, 2024
“A fascinating trio they are, though. Suitable for scientific study, what? I suppose you want to hear the story of where I found ’em.”
From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood
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.
