Find the word appropriate to this definition

Adjective

More than almost anyone writing today, Slater, whose prose is astringent and sensuous by turn, reflects both a genuine feeling for and appreciation of foods appropriate to the season—and a tolerance for kitchen disasters.


Cynthia Zarin, Gourmet, April 2007


Crepuscular means «pertaining to twilight.» It sounds so lovely. I use the word as much as possible, even when it’s not appropriate.


Bob Berman, Astronomy, June 2006


While working as one of the exhibition curators, I was surprised to learn that, until the 1920s, ice cream was properly eaten with a fork, a cumbersome technique decried by none other than Florence Howe hall, the granddaughter of Julia Ward Howe, who wrote «The Battle Hymn of the Republic». But if high society eventually agreed on a more appropriate utensil for eating the frozen-dessert, even the most au courant hostess may have had trouble deciding what kind of device should be used for serving it …


Darra Goldstein, Saveur, June-July 2006


Three days. There was no way on this earth that proper due diligence could be done in such a limited time. For a merger of this magnitude, a week’s worth of due diligence would have been more appropriate.


Nina Munk, Vanity Fair, January 2004



Red wine would have been a more appropriate choice with the meal.



The movie is perfectly appropriate to people of all ages.

Verb

From this source it was appropriated by Wilhelm Ropke in his effort to develop a social and political theory in which the market economy would be reconciled with the local community.


Roger Scruton, National Review, 20 June 2005


Dr. Seuss’s mother, also the daughter of German immigrants, was Henrietta Seuss, and when he appropriated the name for his books Dr. Seuss pronounced it in the German manner, «soice,» until he realized that Americans naturally read the name as «soose,» and that the American pronunciation of «Dr. Seuss» evoked a figure advantageous for an author of children’s books to be associated with—Mother Goose.


Louis Menand, New Yorker, 23 & 30 Dec. 2002


Wales, in contrast, was officially appropriated into the United Kingdom by Henry VIII’s Acts of Union, in 1536 and 1543, before it had developed the apparatus of a modern state.


Pamela Petro, Atlantic, April 1999



The town has appropriated funds to repair the bridge and work should begin this summer.



The economy has been weakened by corrupt officials who have appropriated the country’s resources for their own use.



Elements of the design were appropriated from other architects.



The term “bad” has been appropriated by teenagers as a synonym for “good.”

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Recent Examples on the Web



The city is also trying to gauge whether most residents believe gunshot-detection technology is even appropriate for Portland.


Savannaheadens, oregonlive, 5 Apr. 2023





Four points was knocked off the Waffle House’s score by using chlorine as sanitizer while not using an appropriate chemical test kit to accurately measure the concentration of sanitizing solution.


Howard Koplowitz | Hkoplowitz@al.com, al, 5 Apr. 2023





But such treatment would evidently feel less ceremonious and would not offer appropriate emotional closure to what was likely an important relationship.


Eric Tourigny, CNN, 3 Apr. 2023





When an appropriate location was found, the spotter jumped ashore, cleared away brush with his machete and raised a red-and-white sighting pole until surveyors in a separate boat measured the angle and distance between their position and the sighting rod.


Larry Rohter, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2023





Well, internet crush is probably more appropriate because Gwyneth Paltrow’s hot lawyer James Egan is reportedly married.


Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 1 Apr. 2023





The agency works with U.S. attorneys to assist them with filing federal hate crime charges and works with local and state investigators when federal charges are not appropriate.


Jake Allen, The Indianapolis Star, 31 Mar. 2023





The parent said the movie was more appropriate for an eighth-grade American history class and asked that the district remove it from the list of films approved for elementary schools.


Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2023





Bans are only appropriate when there are no alternatives.


Ana Faguy, Forbes, 23 Mar. 2023




The governor asked lawmakers to appropriate $60 million from the General Fund to repay the Alabama Trust Fund for money borrowed from 2013 through 2015 to balance the state budget.


Mike Cason | Mcason@al.com, al, 8 Mar. 2023





And the bill appropriates $22 million for research and development into detectors and $5 million for developing safer tank cars.


Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2023





That September, the commission voted to appropriate an additional $5 million for Willis’s office.


Mark Binelli, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2023





Connecticut Democrats and anti-hunger advocates are pressing state leaders to pass emergency legislation that would appropriate millions of state dollars to fund free meals for all Connecticut public school students through the end of the academic year.


Alison Cross, Hartford Courant, 12 Jan. 2023





The Quorum Court’s Finance & Budget Committee sent ordinances to the full Quorum Court that would appropriate $10 million in federal covid relief funds for the expansion and transfer $8.8 million from one budget line to another for use on the project.


Tom Sissom, Arkansas Online, 7 Dec. 2022





Earlier this year, Utah Sen. Daniel McCay, R-Riverton, proposed a plan to appropriate $5 million of state tax money to add more courts for big-time tournaments in Salt Lake County.


Palak Jayswal, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Sep. 2022





The drill involved a school bus and students, with Edison’s EMT and other health science students treating and triaging injured people and taking them to appropriate vehicles for emergency transport.


Staff, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Mar. 2023





So some of this discourse is about non-Black women culturally appropriating the often-natural body shape of Black women with curves and larger derrières.


Suzette Hackney, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2023



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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘appropriate.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Other forms: appropriated; appropriating; appropriates

Something appropriate is correct and fits the situation. A sweater-vest with reindeer on it is appropriate holiday apparel, even if it’s totally embarrassing.

The adjective appropriate is used when something is suitable or fitting. It comes from the Latin appropriare, which means «to make something fit, to make something one’s own.» Going back even further, appropriate is related to the Latin word proprius, «to belong to a person, thing, or group.» Another appropriate way to use this word is as a verb, meaning to steal or seize something, the way you’d appropriate your sister’s sandwich if she left it sitting near you.

Definitions of appropriate

  1. adjective

    suitable for a particular person, place, condition, etc.

    “a book not
    appropriate for children”

    “it seems that an apology is
    appropriate

    Synonyms:

    befitting

    appropriate to

    grade-appropriate

    the quality of ability and work that is appropriate for students in a specified grade

    pat

    exactly suited to the occasion

    proper, right

    appropriate for a condition or purpose or occasion or a person’s character, needs

    apropos

    of an appropriate or pertinent nature

    proper

    marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness

Definitions of appropriate

  1. verb

    take possession of by force, as after an invasion

  2. verb

    give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘appropriate’.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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Also found in: Thesaurus, Medical, Legal, Financial, Acronyms, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

ap·pro·pri·ate

 (ə-prō′prē-ĭt)

adj.

Suitable for a particular person, condition, occasion, or place; fitting.

tr.v. (-āt′) ap·pro·pri·at·ed, ap·pro·pri·at·ing, ap·pro·pri·ates

1. To set apart for a specific use: appropriating funds for education.

2. To take possession of or make use of exclusively for oneself, often without permission: My coworker appropriated my unread newspaper.


[Middle English appropriat, from Late Latin appropriātus, past participle of appropriāre, to make one’s own : Latin ad-, ad- + Latin proprius, own; see per in Indo-European roots.]


ap·pro′pri·ate·ly adv.

ap·pro′pri·ate·ness n.

ap·pro′pri·a′tive (-ā′tĭv) adj.

ap·pro′pri·a′tor n.

Synonyms: appropriate, arrogate, commandeer, confiscate
These verbs mean to seize for oneself or as one’s right: appropriated the family car; arrogated the chair at the head of the table; commandeered a plane for the escape; confiscating stolen property. See Also Synonyms at allocate.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

appropriate

adj

1. right or suitable; fitting

2. rare particular; own: they had their appropriate methods.

vb (tr)

3. to take for one’s own use, esp illegally or without permission

4. (Banking & Finance) to put aside (funds, etc) for a particular purpose or person

[C15: from Late Latin appropriāre to make one’s own, from Latin proprius one’s own; see proper]

apˈpropriable adj

apˈpropriately adv

apˈpropriateness n

apˈpropriative adj

apˈpropriˌator n

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

ap•pro•pri•ate

(adj. əˈproʊ pri ɪt; v. -ˌeɪt)

adj., v. -at•ed, -at•ing. adj.

1. particularly suitable; fitting; compatible: remarks appropriate to the occasion.

v.t.

2. to set apart for a specific purpose or use: to appropriate funds for an environmental study.

3. to take to or for oneself; take possession of.

4. to take without permission; expropriate.

[1515–25; < Late Latin appropriātus, past participle of appropriāre to make one’s own = Latin ap- ap-1 + propius one’s own]

ap•pro′pri•a•ble, adj.

ap•pro′pri•ate•ly, adv.

ap•pro′pri•ate•ness, n.

ap•pro′pri•a`tive (-ˌeɪ tɪv, -ə tɪv) adj.

ap•pro′pri•a`tor, n.

Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

appropriate

Past participle: appropriated
Gerund: appropriating

Imperative
appropriate
appropriate
Present
I appropriate
you appropriate
he/she/it appropriates
we appropriate
you appropriate
they appropriate
Preterite
I appropriated
you appropriated
he/she/it appropriated
we appropriated
you appropriated
they appropriated
Present Continuous
I am appropriating
you are appropriating
he/she/it is appropriating
we are appropriating
you are appropriating
they are appropriating
Present Perfect
I have appropriated
you have appropriated
he/she/it has appropriated
we have appropriated
you have appropriated
they have appropriated
Past Continuous
I was appropriating
you were appropriating
he/she/it was appropriating
we were appropriating
you were appropriating
they were appropriating
Past Perfect
I had appropriated
you had appropriated
he/she/it had appropriated
we had appropriated
you had appropriated
they had appropriated
Future
I will appropriate
you will appropriate
he/she/it will appropriate
we will appropriate
you will appropriate
they will appropriate
Future Perfect
I will have appropriated
you will have appropriated
he/she/it will have appropriated
we will have appropriated
you will have appropriated
they will have appropriated
Future Continuous
I will be appropriating
you will be appropriating
he/she/it will be appropriating
we will be appropriating
you will be appropriating
they will be appropriating
Present Perfect Continuous
I have been appropriating
you have been appropriating
he/she/it has been appropriating
we have been appropriating
you have been appropriating
they have been appropriating
Future Perfect Continuous
I will have been appropriating
you will have been appropriating
he/she/it will have been appropriating
we will have been appropriating
you will have been appropriating
they will have been appropriating
Past Perfect Continuous
I had been appropriating
you had been appropriating
he/she/it had been appropriating
we had been appropriating
you had been appropriating
they had been appropriating
Conditional
I would appropriate
you would appropriate
he/she/it would appropriate
we would appropriate
you would appropriate
they would appropriate
Past Conditional
I would have appropriated
you would have appropriated
he/she/it would have appropriated
we would have appropriated
you would have appropriated
they would have appropriated

Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Verb 1. appropriate - give or assign a resource to a particular person or causeappropriate — give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause; «I will earmark this money for your research»; «She sets aside time for meditation every day»
2. appropriate - take possession of by force, as after an invasionappropriate — take possession of by force, as after an invasion; «the invaders seized the land and property of the inhabitants»; «The army seized the town»; «The militia captured the castle»

take over, usurp, arrogate, seize, assume — seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one’s right or possession; «He assumed to himself the right to fill all positions in the town»; «he usurped my rights»; «She seized control of the throne after her husband died»

carry — capture after a fight; «The troops carried the town after a brief fight»

Adj. 1. appropriate — suitable for a particular person or place or condition etc; «a book not appropriate for children»; «a funeral conducted the appropriate solemnity»; «it seems that an apology is appropriate»

apropos — of an appropriate or pertinent nature

proper — marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness; «proper medical treatment»; «proper manners»

inappropriate — not suitable for a particular occasion etc; «noise seems inappropriate at a time of sadness»; «inappropriate shoes for a walk on the beach»; «put inappropriate pressure on them»

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

appropriate

adjective

1. suitable, right, fitting, fit, suited, correct, belonging, relevant, proper, to the point, in keeping, apt, applicable, pertinent, befitting, well-suited, well-timed, apposite, apropos, opportune, becoming, seemly, felicitous, germane, to the purpose, appurtenant, congruous It is appropriate that Irish names dominate the list.
suitable irrelevant, inappropriate, incorrect, unfitting, unsuitable, improper, incompatible, untimely, inopportune

verb

1. seize, take, claim, assume, take over, acquire, confiscate, annex, usurp, impound, pre-empt, commandeer, take possession of, expropriate, arrogate Several other newspapers have appropriated the idea.
seize give, relinquish, cede

2. allocate, allow, budget, devote, assign, designate, set aside, earmark, allot, share out, apportion He is sceptical that Congress will appropriate more money for this.
allocate withhold

3. steal, take, nick (slang, chiefly Brit.), pocket, trouser (slang), pinch (informal), pirate, poach, swipe (slang), lift (informal), knock off (slang), heist (U.S. slang), embezzle, blag (slang), pilfer, misappropriate, snitch (slang), purloin, filch, plagiarize, thieve, peculate What do they think about your appropriating their music and culture?

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

appropriate

adjective

1. Suitable for a particular person, condition, occasion, or place:

apt, becoming, befitting, correct, felicitous, fit, fitting, happy, meet, proper, right, tailor-made.

2. Suited to one’s end or purpose:

3. Consistent with prevailing or accepted standards or circumstances:

verb

1. To set aside or apart for a specified purpose:

2. To lay claim to for oneself or as one’s right:

The American Heritage® Roget’s Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Translations

vhodnýpříslušnýodpovídajícípřiměřený

passende

sopivasoveliastäsmällinenvarattuasianmukainen

prikladanprimjerenpodesan

értelemszerûnem kívánt

hlutaîeigandi; viîeigandi

適切な

적합한

atitinkamas

atbilstošspiemērots

primerenustrezen

lämplig

เหมาะสม

thích hợp

appropriate

A. [əˈprəʊprɪɪt] ADJ [time, place, method, response] → apropiado, adecuado; [moment] → oportuno, apropiado, adecuado; [authority, department] → competente, correspondiente
it is appropriate thatresulta apropiado or adecuado que …
it may be appropriate to discuss this with your solicitorquizá sería conveniente que discutiera esto con su abogado
she’s the most appropriate person to present the awardes la persona más indicada or más adecuada para presentar el premio
to take appropriate actiontomar las medidas apropiadas or adecuadas or pertinentes
choose A, B or C as appropriateelija A, B o C según corresponda
this treatment was very appropriate for our soneste tratamiento resultó ser muy apropiado or adecuado para nuestro hijo
it would not be appropriate for me to discuss individual casesno sería apropiado que comentara casos concretos
to take appropriate precautionstomar las debidas precauciones
it seemed appropriate to end with a jokeparecía apropiado terminar con un chiste
words appropriate to the occasionpalabras apropiadas or adecuadas para la ocasión
a job appropriate to his talentsun trabajo que se adecúa a sus aptitudes
A, and where appropriate, BA, y en su caso, B
you will be answering queries, and, where appropriate, demonstrating our softwaredará información a quien la pida y, si se presta, hará demostraciones de nuestro software

Collins Spanish Dictionary — Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

appropriate

[əˈprəʊpriət]

adj

(= suitable) [person, clothing, comments, time, reponse, punishment] → qui convient, approprié(e); [behaviour, subject] → convenable; [authority] → compétent(e); [treatment, skills, training] → adéquat(e); [visa] → requis(e)
to take appropriate action → prendre des mesures appropriées
appropriate for sb/sth, appropriate to sb/sth → approprié(e) à qn/qch
That dress isn’t very appropriate for an interview → Cette robe n’est pas très appropriée pour un entretien.
it is appropriate to … → il est approprié de …
it seems appropriate to … → il semble approprié de …
it is appropriate that … → il est approprié que …
to be appropriate for sb to do sth
It would not be appropriate for me to comment → Il ne me serait pas approprié de commenter.

[əˈprəʊprieɪt] vt

(US) (= allot) [+ money, funds] → affecter
to appropriate sth for sth → affecter qch à qch

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

appropriate

1


appropriate

2

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

appropriate

(əˈprəupriət) adjective

suitable; proper. Her clothes were appropriate to the occasion; Complain to the appropriate authority.

apˈpropriateness nounapˈpropriately adverb

suitably. appropriately dressed for the occasion.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

appropriate

مُلَائِم vhodný passende passend κατάλληλος apropiado sopiva approprié prikladan adatto 適切な 적합한 geschikt passende odpowiedni apropriado соответствующий lämplig เหมาะสม uygun thích hợp 适当的

Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

appropriate

a. apropiado-a, adecuado-a, apto-a.

English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012

appropriate

adj adecuado, apropiado

English-Spanish/Spanish-English Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Go to Preferences page and choose from different actions for taps or mouse clicks.
Inflections of ‘appropriate‘ (v): (⇒ conjugate)
appropriates
v 3rd person singular
appropriating
v pres p
appropriated
v past
appropriated
v past p

WordReference Random House Learner’s Dictionary of American English © 2023

ap•pro•pri•ate /adjective: əˈproʊpriɪt; verb: -ˌeɪt/USA pronunciation  
adj., v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 
adj.

  1. particularly suitable;
    fitting;
    correct:appropriate behavior.[be + ~ + to]remarks appropriate to the occasion.

v. [~ + object]

  1. Governmentto set apart for a specific purpose: appropriated funds for an environmental study.
  2. to take for oneself;
    steal:They appropriated my ideas as their own.

ap•pro•pri•ate•ly, adv. 
ap•pro•pri•ate•ness, n. [uncountable]See -propr-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2023

ap•pro•pri•ate 
(adj. ə prōprē it;v. ə prōprē āt′),USA pronunciation adj., v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 
adj.

  1. suitable or fitting for a particular purpose, person, occasion, etc.:an appropriate example; an appropriate dress.
  2. belonging to or peculiar to a person;
    proper:Each played his appropriate part.

v.t.

  1. Governmentto set apart, authorize, or legislate for some specific purpose or use:The legislature appropriated funds for the university.
  2. to take to or for oneself;
    take possession of.
  3. to take without permission or consent;
    seize;
    expropriate:He appropriated the trust funds for himself.
  4. to steal, esp. to commit petty theft.
  • Late Latin appropriātus made one’s own (past participle of appropriāre), equivalent. to Latin ap- ap1 + propri(us) one’s own + -ātusate1
  • 1515–25

ap•propri•ate•ly, adv. 
ap•propri•ate•ness, n. 

ap•propri•a•tive 
(ə prōprē ā′tiv, -ə tiv),USA pronunciation adj. 

ap•propri•a′tive•ness, n. 
ap•propri•a′tor, n. 

    • 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged befitting, apt, meet, felicitous, suited, proper, due, becoming, pertinent.
    • 3.See corresponding entry in Unabridged apportion, allocate, assign.


    • 1.See corresponding entry in Unabridged unsuitable, inept.


Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

appropriate adj /əˈprəʊprɪɪt/

  1. right or suitable; fitting
  2. rare particular; own: they had their appropriate methods

vb /əˈprəʊprɪˌeɪt/(transitive)

  1. to take for one’s own use, esp illegally or without permission
  2. to put aside (funds, etc) for a particular purpose or person

Etymology: 15th Century: from Late Latin appropriāre to make one’s own, from Latin proprius one’s own; see proper

apˈpropriately adv apˈpropriateness n apˈpropriˌator n

appropriate‘ also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):

  • Top Definitions
  • Synonyms
  • Quiz
  • Related Content
  • Examples
  • British

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.

[ adjective uhproh-pree-it; verb uhproh-pree-eyt ]

/ adjective əˈproʊ pri ɪt; verb əˈproʊ priˌeɪt /

This shows grade level based on the word’s complexity.


adjective

suitable or fitting for a particular purpose, person, occasion, etc.: an appropriate example;an appropriate dress.

belonging to or peculiar to a person; proper: Each played his appropriate part.

verb (used with object), ap·pro·pri·at·ed, ap·pro·pri·at·ing.

to set apart, authorize, or legislate for some specific purpose or use: The legislature appropriated funds for the university.

to take to or for oneself; take possession of.

to take without permission or consent; seize; expropriate: He appropriated the trust funds for himself.

to steal, especially to commit petty theft.

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Origin of appropriate

First recorded in 1515–25; from Late Latin appropriātus “made one’s own” (past participle of appropriāre ), equivalent to Latin ap- ap-1 + propri(us) “one’s own, special, particular” + -ātus -ate1

OTHER WORDS FROM appropriate

ap·pro·pri·ate·ly, adverbap·pro·pri·ate·ness, nounap·pro·pri·a·tive [uhproh-pree-ey-tiv, —uh-tiv], /əˈproʊ priˌeɪ tɪv, -ə tɪv/, adjectiveap·pro·pri·a·tive·ness, noun

ap·pro·pri·a·tor, nounnon·ap·pro·pri·a·tive, adjectivequa·si-ap·pro·pri·ate, adjectivere·ap·pro·pri·ate, verb (used with object), re·ap·pro·pri·at·ed, re·ap·pro·pri·at·ing.well-ap·pro·pri·at·ed, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH appropriate

1. appropriate , apropos2. appropriate , expropriate

Words nearby appropriate

approbate, approbation, approbative, appropriable, appropriacy, appropriate, appropriately, appropriation, approvable, approval, approve

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to appropriate

applicable, apt, convenient, correct, fitting, good, opportune, pertinent, proper, relevant, true, useful, allot, apportion, devote, disburse, earmark, borrow, confiscate, embezzle

How to use appropriate in a sentence

  • It seems appropriate that “Antebellum,” the new thriller about the ongoing impact of racial injustice in America, literally started as a nightmare.

  • Your SEO content has to contain an appropriate amount of relevant keywords, entities, and images for the length of the copy.

  • The coronavirus pandemic and the restaurant industry’s “uphill battle” were the given reasons that an award show just didn’t seem appropriate.

  • Moving away from the executive level, it is also important that investors engage with companies about their expectations for all staff to have a living wage, access to health care, sick leave, and appropriate holiday entitlements.

  • I don’t think you can culturally appropriate a food product unless you’re profiting off of it.

  • I think the response of the French government so far has been pretty appropriate in that regard.

  • The art of leadership is the ability to move between the two poles at the appropriate times.

  • One hundred days before the election seems appropriate time limit for a campaign.

  • It is indeed the human being’s natural and appropriate response to danger.

  • The names of the three girls were entered into the appropriate databases, and their passports were flagged.

  • So they often occured mid-paragraph; here they have been moved to a more appropriate place.

  • Movement to know that she was attired in appropriate costume—short frock, biped continuations and a mannish oil-skin hat.

  • Application of gentle heat or appropriate chemicals will serve to differentiate them.

  • If you are of a different opinion, Mrs. Dodd, I will reconsider the matter; of course it would be most appropriate.

  • Track of the count may be kept by placing a mark for each leukocyte in its appropriate column, ruled upon paper.

British Dictionary definitions for appropriate


adjective (əˈprəʊprɪɪt)

right or suitable; fitting

rare particular; ownthey had their appropriate methods

verb (əˈprəʊprɪˌeɪt) (tr)

to take for one’s own use, esp illegally or without permission

to put aside (funds, etc) for a particular purpose or person

Derived forms of appropriate

appropriable, adjectiveappropriately, adverbappropriateness, nounappropriative, adjective

appropriator, noun

Word Origin for appropriate

C15: from Late Latin appropriāre to make one’s own, from Latin proprius one’s own; see proper

Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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  • Find the unsuitable word