Did you know?
Apropos wears its ancestry like a badge—or a beret. From the French phrase à propos, meaning “to the purpose,” the word’s emphasis lands on its last syllable, which ends in a silent “s”: \ap-ruh-POH. Apropos typically functions as an adjective describing what is suitable or appropriate (“an apropos comment”), or as a preposition (with or without of) meaning “with regard to,” as in “apropos (of) the decision, implementation will take some time.” The phrase “apropos of nothing” suggests that something does not relate to a specified topic.
Examples of apropos in a Sentence
Thomas McGuane, New York Times Book Review, 24 June 2007
The late Kenneth Koch's description of Ashbery as "lazy and quick" remains thoroughly apropos; these 61 page-or-two poems can seem brilliantly tossed off, much like those in his 2000 collection, Your Name Here. The title is appropriate too: Chinese Whispers is the British name for the game of Telephone, where children (or adults) gather in a circle and whisper a "secret" word or phrase into the ear next to them.
—Publishers Weekly, 19 Aug. 2002
The ceremony concluded with the reading of an apropos poem.
The comment, though unexpected, was apropos.
Adverb
I went up to New York last weekend; apropos, have you seen your New York cousins lately?
Michael Stefanov, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2025
Prince William complemented her look nicely in a green velvet suit, which felt very apropos.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 17 Oct. 2021
Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apropos
Cite this Entry
“Apropos.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apropos. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
apropos
1 of 2 adverb
apropos
2 of 2 adjective
Share