apposite

1 of 2

adjective

ap·​po·​site ˈa-pə-zət 

: highly pertinent or appropriate : apt

apposite remarks

apposite examples

appositely adverb

appositeness noun

appositeness

2 of 2

noun

ap·​po·​site·​ness

ˈa-pə-zət-nəs sometimes ə-ˈpä- or a-ˈpä-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being apposite : aptness

Did you know?

Apposite and opposite sound so much alike that you would expect them to have a common ancestor—and they do: the Latin verb pōnere, which means "to place, set.” The prefixes that we see in the pair, ap- and op-, specify the kind of placement. Apposite is from appōnere, meaning “to place near,” and opposite is from oppōnere, one meaning of which is "to place (over or against).” Opposite is of course the far more common word, but apposite is useful too and is, ahem, apposite in descriptions of what is very appropriate or suitable for something, as in “an apposite comment.”

Synonyms of apposite

Adjective

• relevant
• applicable

Choose the Right Synonym for apposite

relevant, germane, material, pertinent, apposite, applicable, apropos mean relating to or bearing upon the matter in hand.

relevant implies a traceable, significant, logical connection.

found material relevant to her case

germane may additionally imply a fitness for or appropriateness to the situation or occasion.

a point not germane to the discussion

material implies so close a relationship that it cannot be dispensed with without serious alteration of the case.

facts material to the investigation

pertinent stresses a clear and decisive relevance.

a pertinent observation

apposite suggests a felicitous relevance.

add an apposite quotation to the definition

applicable suggests the fitness of bringing a general rule or principle to bear upon a particular case.

the rule is not applicable in this case

apropos suggests being both relevant and opportune.

the quip was apropos

Examples of apposite in a Sentence

Adjective

enriched his essay on patriotism with some very apposite quotations from famous people on the subject

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The timing of the study is apposite: recess time has declined in many schools and only about 10 percent of elementary schools require regular movement breaks. — Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025

Which makes the Irish designer’s work a particularly apposite choice for Demi Moore, star of The Substance, in which a younger version of her character, Elisabeth Sparkle, literally bursts forth from her flesh in scenes gorier than any wildlife documentary. — Kerry McDermott, Vogue, 16 Feb. 2025

According to Petrick, web3 is a particularly apposite medium for PUMA due to the strong correlation between sports and fashion and web3 culture. — Stephanie Hirschmiller, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023

Diño concurred and said that budgets in the Philippines for independent films have also gone up to $1 million and going international allows filmmakers to realize their cinematic visions with apposite budgets. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 6 Oct. 2022

In one sense, the Italian humanists’ argument, as Mr. Hankins explains it, is both apposite and unassailable. — Barton Swaim, WSJ, 19 Aug. 2022

Fulham provides an apposite example. — New York Times, 5 Aug. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Latin appositus "situated near, ready at hand, suitable, apt," from past participle of appōnere "to place near, put or fit on, contribute as an additional element," from ap- ap- entry 1 + pōnere "to place, set, put in position" — more at position entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1621, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

apposite

adjective

ap·​po·​site ˈap-ə-zət 

: highly appropriate : pertinent, apt

apposite remarks

appositely adverb

appositeness noun

Legal Definition

apposite

adjective

ap·​po·​site ˈa-pə-zət 

: highly pertinent or appropriate