Synonyms of suitable

suitable

adjective

ˈsü-tə-bəl 

1

as in qualified

having the required skills for an acceptable level of performance

with only one suitable candidate it's not difficult to decide for whom to vote

Synonyms & Similar Words

• qualified
• good
• capable
• competent
• fit
• able
• equal
• expert
• ready
• prepared
• experienced
• skilled
• skillful
• proficient
• adept
• willing
• accomplished
• on the ball
• versatile
• seasoned
• masterly
• master
• practiced
• apt
• veteran
• masterful
• ace
• trained
• overqualified
• protean
• schooled
• all-around

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• poor
• unfit
• incompetent
• unqualified
• inept
• inexperienced
• unskilled
• unfitted
• new
• unprepared
• green
• beginning
• untrained
• raw
• inexpert
• unseasoned
• untested
• untried
• unskillful
• unschooled

2

as in appropriate

meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation

I don't have anything suitable to wear to a bar mitzvah

Synonyms & Similar Words

• appropriate
• fitting
• proper
• fitted
• fit
• good
• applicable
• happy
• adequate
• acceptable
• meet
• right
• pretty
• apt
• in order
• needed
• becoming
• felicitous
• balanced
• required
• befitting
• satisfactory
• capable
• deserved
• able
• decent
• justified
• requisite
• competent
• qualified
• correct
• decorous
• serviceable
• just
• trained
• respectable
• tolerable
• rightful
• condign
• kosher
• harmonious
• cut out
• consonant
• seemly
• pitch-perfect
• congruous
• companionate

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsuitable
• improper
• inappropriate
• wrong
• unfit
• inapplicable
• unhappy
• incongruous
• incapable
• unfitting
• indecent
• unseemly
• inadequate
• unbecoming
• incompetent
• inapt
• unsatisfactory
• unskilled
• unacceptable
• unqualified
• inapposite
• untrained
• infelicitous
• intolerable
• unapt
• inept
• unmeet
• inexpert
• unskillful
• unbeseeming
• incorrect
• incompatible
• misbecoming
• malapropos
• indecorous
• uncongenial
• graceless

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective suitable differ from other similar words?

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

clothes suitable for camping

In what contexts can appropriate take the place of suitable?

The meanings of appropriate and suitable largely overlap; however, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

Where would apt be a reasonable alternative to suitable?

The synonyms apt and suitable are sometimes interchangeable, but apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When could felicitous be used to replace suitable?

In some situations, the words felicitous and suitable are roughly equivalent. However, felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

When is fit a more appropriate choice than suitable?

While in some cases nearly identical to suitable, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When would fitting be a good substitute for suitable?

While the synonyms fitting and suitable are close in meaning, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

When might happy be a better fit than suitable?

The words happy and suitable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When is it sensible to use meet instead of suitable?

The words meet and suitable can be used in similar contexts, but meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When can proper be used instead of suitable?

Although the words proper and suitable have much in common, proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of suitable

Another option is to keep containerized roses as patio plants in the summer, carefully watered and kept sheltered from the worst of the afternoon sun until the weather becomes more moderate and suitable for planting in autumn. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Nov. 2025

With month-to-month options and no credit checks, these plans are suitable for renters, students or anyone who prefers no-strings connectivity. —Roxanne Downer, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

Arizona’s sunshine may be suitable for smiles, but for many residents, getting to the dentist is still out of reach. —Sixteen Ramos, AZCentral.com, 6 Nov. 2025

After losing star tight end Tucker Kraft , who led the team with 489 yards receiving and six touchdowns, to a season-ending ACL injury, Green Bay was on the hunt to find a suitable replacement. —Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2025