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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
Samantha Dawn, a personal stylist and style coach, also thinks the fabric is seasonally appropriate. Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025 On the seat-back entertainment screens, select the 'Kids' button for access to age-appropriate movies, TV shows, music, and games. Sherri Gordon, Parents, 23 Oct. 2025
Verb
The city has appropriated $475,000 for the art element. Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Oct. 2025 Some of today’s most ubiquitous beauty trends were started by Latinas, appropriated by white mainstream audiences, and rebranded into something that only sounds new. Sofía Viera, Allure, 10 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for appropriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appropriate
Adjective
  • The assessment by PlanIT Geo also found that only 29% of Pittsburg’s land is suitable for new tree planting, due to impervious surfaces.
    Hema Sivanandam, Mercury News, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Dill quickly found three more suitable classrooms at La Costa Canyon High School for the ATP students.
    Marsha Sutton, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The Unified Government can seize someone’s home in this way if the residents don’t pay all their property taxes for three years.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Oct. 2025
  • Leveraging geopolitical insights allows businesses to build resilient partnerships and seize emerging opportunities before rivals.
    Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • More recently, two pieces of 16th-century armor were returned to the Louvre Museum almost 40 years after they were stolen.
    Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 19 Oct. 2025
  • San Diego police arrested a person suspected of stealing a fire engine in south San Diego and driving it up Interstate 5 to Fallbrook Saturday evening, officials said.
    Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • October marks the proper start of fall, and there’s no better time to plan an autumnal getaway—luckily, Amazon is overflowing with deals on everything from cozy layers to lightweight weekenders, plus hiking gear that can handle the crisp mornings.
    Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
  • The tour ended at a ranch, where we were greeted with cold towels, bottled water and a proper Vincy breakfast—a reward that made the early wake-up worth it.
    Essence, Essence, 18 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The sweeping opinion ran through a list of Israeli practices that the ICJ said violated international law, including confiscating land, building Israeli settlements in the territories, and depriving Palestinians of natural resources and the right to self-determination.
    Lauren Kent, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
  • Victoria discussed payment, methods, and timing in messages discovered on a phone that was eventually confiscated from Amato by security guards.
    Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In a world where people have grown increasingly accustomed to finding love by swiping right or left, this little Irish town and its festival offers something different.
    Bernadette Keith, Travel + Leisure, 19 Oct. 2025
  • Give it a quick shake to mix the milky layers, swipe it on, and watch rough, uneven skin do a 180.
    Christa Joanna Lee, Allure, 18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Town got legislation passed for veteran housing Carney said the location for the homes is fitting.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The ceremony’s focus on Berlanti’s contributions to the YA space was a fitting emphasis for the Summit, which comes in the wake of the Center for Scholars and Storytellers’ annual Teens and Screens report.
    Andrew McGowan, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Casanovas’ use of the brand as a platform for self-expression has clearly grabbed attention among his Gen Z peers.
    Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 20 Oct. 2025
  • So instead of getting out your sad, chipped mixing bowls as your backup serving pieces, grab a three-piece set of these Trudeau porcelain serving bowls.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 20 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Appropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appropriate. Accessed 26 Oct. 2025.

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