opportune

adjective

op·​por·​tune ˌä-pər-ˈtün How to pronounce opportune (audio)
-ˈtyün
1
: suitable or convenient for a particular occurrence
an opportune moment
the legal authorities helped by the opportune use of their powers of arrestT. E. Vedney
2
: occurring at an appropriate time
an opportune offer of assistance
The book's publication is opportune.
opportunely adverb
opportuneness noun

Did you know?

Opportune comes from Latin opportūnus, which can mean "favoring one's needs," "serviceable," or "convenient." The word is a combination of the prefix ob-, meaning "to," and portus, a word for a port or harbor. It alludes to choosing any port in a storm for safety.

Examples of opportune in a Sentence

There isn't a more opportune time to invest in the stock market. an opportune rain shower gave them an excuse to leave the outdoor concert early
Recent Examples on the Web For investors seeking stability paired with promising returns, consider whether this could be the opportune moment to embark on this journey. Danny Kattan, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 The broadcast came at an opportune moment for Paramount. Rob Golum, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2024 LendingTree began tracking credit card confidence at an opportune moment. Daniel De Visé, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2024 This makes now an opportune time to negotiate a fully remote arrangement for your current job (see six tips to negotiate for more flexibility, including location flexibility). Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 The $101 million windfall — equal to about 31% of iHeartMedia’s $326 million market capitalization — comes at an opportune time for the company, which saw its revenue for the first nine months of 2023 fall 3.7% to $2.68 billion. Glenn Peoples, Billboard, 13 Feb. 2024 This would be an opportune time to reverse those fortunes if the Bruins want to build upon their mid-season momentum. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 21 Jan. 2024 The festival has often also been an opportune time to announce the spring and summer slate of shows at the Goodspeed’s Norma Terris space in Chester. Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2024 Then again, New Orleans (21-14) did catch Minnesota (24-9) at an opportune time. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 3 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opportune.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French opportun, borrowed from Latin opportūnus "favoring one's needs, serviceable, convenient," probably originally, "blowing in the direction of a harbor (of a wind)," from ob- ob- + portu-, stem of portus "harbor, port entry 1" + -nus, adjective suffix (vowel length perhaps after the ablative portū)

Note: The name of a god of harbors, Portūnus, appears to be a secondary formation by analogy with Neptūnus "Neptune."

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of opportune was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near opportune

Cite this Entry

“Opportune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportune. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

opportune

adjective
op·​por·​tune ˌäp-ər-ˈt(y)ün How to pronounce opportune (audio)
: suitable sense 1, timely
an opportune moment to act
opportunely adverb
Etymology

Middle English opportune "opportune, suitable, fit," from early French opportun (same meaning), from Latin opportunus "fit, suitable, convenient," from op-, ob- "toward, at" and portus "port, harbor"

Word Origin
The Latin adjective opportunus was used to mean "fit, suitable, or convenient." It was formed from the prefix op-, ob-, meaning "at or toward" and portus, meaning "port or harbor." The Romans considered something "at the port" to be suitable and ready for use. The French took the word as opportun with the same basic meaning, and the word came into English as opportune in the 15th century. Nowadays it is often applied to a suitable or favorable time for something, or to something that occurs or is done at just the right time.

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