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Synonyms

suitable

American  
[soo-tuh-buhl] / ˈsu tə bəl /

adjective

  1. such as to suit; appropriate; fitting; becoming.

    Synonyms:
    apt, seemly, befitting, proper
suitable British  
/ ˈsjuːt-, ˈsuːtəbəl /

adjective

  1. appropriate; proper; fit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • presuitable adjective
  • presuitably adverb
  • suitability noun
  • suitableness noun
  • suitably adverb

Etymology

Origin of suitable

First recorded in 1505–15; suit + -able

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.

While impacts are often associated with destruction, they may also have created conditions suitable for life.

From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026

The bicycle course featured four small bikes with training wheels, only suitable for young children.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

He said "almost all" of the Isle of Man was suitable for the project, with the island holding the right climate and geographical makeup "in droves".

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

The next is making it suitable for human life.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

“You better not let her hear you say that. Although whoever or whatever she is, she’s more suitable than where your mind’s been lately.”

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

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.