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appropriate

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective appropriate differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of appropriate are apt, felicitous, fitting, fit, happy, meet, proper, and suitable. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

In what contexts can apt take the place of appropriate?

In some situations, the words apt and appropriate are roughly equivalent. However, apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When would felicitous be a good substitute for appropriate?

The synonyms felicitous and appropriate are sometimes interchangeable, but felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

When might fit be a better fit than appropriate?

The words fit and appropriate can be used in similar contexts, but fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When could fitting be used to replace appropriate?

Although the words fitting and appropriate have much in common, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

Where would happy be a reasonable alternative to appropriate?

The meanings of happy and appropriate largely overlap; however, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When is meet a more appropriate choice than appropriate?

While in some cases nearly identical to appropriate, meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When is it sensible to use proper instead of appropriate?

The words proper and appropriate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

When can suitable be used instead of appropriate?

While the synonyms suitable and appropriate are close in meaning, suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of appropriate
Adjective
Parente pressed Exum on whether such messages were appropriate for a federal officer. James Hill, ABC News, 6 Nov. 2025 The poem is littered with gut punches that would destroy me as a parent; Lee sees the poem’s beauty and appears to feel appropriate shame. Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
In his signing statement, the President appropriated the arguments put forward by the bill’s champions. Time, 5 Nov. 2025 Many civilian employees at the base who are paid using funds appropriated by Congress have been furloughed and others that are deemed mission critical are currently working without pay. Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for appropriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appropriate
Adjective
  • The Mokum variety, a Nantes type, is suitable for container growing since the orange roots are slim and shorter than some of the larger varieties, reaching six-to-eight inches in length.
    Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
  • During the land use committee hearing, city property agent Tyler Garland said the five parcels are not suitable for multi-family housing and that no city department expressed interest in using them.
    Ashley Mackin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • On Iowa State’s next possession, TCU senior safety Bud Clark came up with a massive interception right before the two-minute timeout, giving TCU a great opportunity to seize control of the game with the Horned Frogs getting the ball at halftime.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Pokrovsk would be the largest city Russia has seized since Bakhmut in May 2023.
    Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Maia’s horrified to realize that the bag was stolen; Tallulah’s mostly just annoyed she got caught.
    Caroline Framke, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Before his imprisonment, Chacón was arrested in 2024 on a domestic violence charge and, in 2025, was accused of stealing merchandise at a Walmart.
    Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • However, be sure to refer to your care label before determining the proper wash settings.
    Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Old Medications Regularly checking expiration dates in your fridge or pantry might already be a part of your cleaning routine, but that medicine cabinet full of little bottles could go years without a proper cleanout.
    Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Milwaukee Marshall High School confiscates a student’s phone until the end of the day for a first offense, requires a parent pickup after a second offense and issues an automatic suspension for repeat violations.
    Kayla Huynh, jsonline.com, 5 Nov. 2025
  • He once got caught with a knife, but correctional officers didn't confiscate it.
    Kristine Phillips, IndyStar, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Earning cryptocurrency rewards via credit card spending can be a good option for those who'd prefer to swipe without thinking about it or to make use of the additional benefits these cards offer.
    Ryley Amond, CNBC, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Soon after, a desperate man named Boomba, who witnessed Ma stealing from the shelter, breaks into her home and swipes her food, her phone, and a purse containing her family’s invaluable travel documents.
    Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
  • The lawsuits involved dental extractions, some of which were full extractions, and/or the placement of implants that caused pain and were ill-fitting, according to court documents.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Wearing a well-fitting, high-quality mask in crowded indoor spaces also can reduce the risk of contracting respiratory infections or spreading your illness to others.
    Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • However, Cena outsmarted him by grabbing the chair, throwing it next to Dom, and pretending to be down on the mat.
    Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Security camera footage from a nearby apartment complex showed the naked man walking across the street prior to the incident, seemingly talking to himself and grabbing a sign, per NBC 4.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 10 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Appropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appropriate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.

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