opportune

op·por·tune | \ ˌä-pər-ˈtün

How to pronounce opportune (audio)

, -ˈtyün \

Definition of opportune

1 : suitable or convenient for a particular occurrence an opportune moment the legal authorities helped by the opportune use of their powers of arrest— T. E. Vedney

2 : occurring at an appropriate time an opportune offer of assistance The book's publication is opportune.

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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 Someone is bound to put on the right hedge or trade at an opportune time. — Ben Carlson, Fortune, "10 Things Investors Can Bank on in the New Year," 27 Dec. 2019 Batteries rarely go dead at opportune times, and every boat owner with several years under his or her belt has had to delve into a dark and cramped bilge compartment at some point to swap the dead one for a new one. — Pete Robbins, Outdoor Life, "10 Holiday Gift Ideas for Bass Fisherman," 16 Dec. 2019 Any time of day is now easily converted into an opportune moment to pop by the counter-service bakery and restaurant: a seeded morning bun for breakfast, a pear crostata and espresso pick-me-up, or a pizza rosso snack to-go. — Lizzie Noonan, Bon Appétit, "How to Make Even the Most Stubborn Winter Vegetables Taste Like Luxury," 16 Dec. 2019 That makes this an opportune moment for the industry to run to the media with its complaint about overly-strict lab rules. — BostonGlobe.com, "Finger-pointing as marijuana producers pressure CCC to loosen lab testing rules - The Boston Globe," 8 Oct. 2019 Councilwoman Black’s proposal appears at an opportune moment. — Vincent Carroll, The Denver Post, "Carroll: Denver should toughen rules to avoid conflicts like Tom’s Diner," 6 Sep. 2019 With Andreas Christensen limping off in the European Super Cup final on Wednesday, this is the opportune moment for the authoritative German to return to the heart of the Chelsea defence. — SI.com, "Chelsea: The XI That Should Start Against Leicester City," 16 Aug. 2019 The dream and book came at an opportune time for Booth, who had endured three personal bankruptcies, three broken marriages, and the dissolution of his latest venture, a computer business. — Seth Hettena, The New Republic, "The Man Behind the Right Wing’s Favorite Conspiracy Theories," 9 Dec. 2019 The Indian Wars were coming to a close and that was an opportune time to have Indians included in a national founding myth. — Claire Bugos, Smithsonian, "The Myths of the Thanksgiving Story and the Lasting Damage They Imbue," 27 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'opportune.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

18 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Opportune.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportune. Accessed 19 January 2020.

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