appropriate

appropriate — adjective

1. right for the needs, rules, or mood of a particular time, place, or purpose

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

right for the needs, rules, or mood of a particular time, place, or purpose

Example

Jeans were not appropriate for the wedding at City Hall.

appropriate for + event

The nurse used calm, appropriate words when the little boy cried.

before noun: appropriate words

Common collocations
  • appropriate behavior
  • appropriate clothing
  • appropriate language
  • appropriate response
  • appropriate level
Synonyms
  • suitable

    the closest everyday word; it stresses good fit for a need or use.

  • proper

    often adds the idea of correct behavior or social rules.

  • fitting

    slightly more formal and often used for tone or response.

Antonyms
  • inappropriate

    direct opposite when something does not fit the situation.

  • unsuitable

    focuses on poor fit for a purpose or use.

  • improper

    often suggests bad manners or rule-breaking.

Grammar Patterns

appropriate for + situation

appropriate response

appropriate language

be appropriate to + occasion

Usage Note

Often follows be and is commonly followed by for when you name the situation. Before nouns, it often describes things like language, clothes, behavior, response, or level. Distinguish from the verb senses: this adjective describes suitability, not taking or setting something aside.

Common Mistakes

This joke is appropriate to a funeral.
This joke is appropriate for a funeral.
'for' is the usual preposition when you mean a situation or event.
The school appropriated clothes for winter.
The school chose appropriate clothes for winter.
the adjective means 'suitable'; the verb means 'take' or 'set aside'.

appropriate — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

For the adjective sense, appropriate is a broad word for something that matches the situation, purpose, or social setting. Suitable is often the closest everyday choice and is common when talking about use, age, size, or job fit. Proper adds a stronger idea of rules, manners, or what society expects, so it often sounds stricter. Fitting is a little more formal and is often used for reactions, tone, or symbolic choices. You might say flat shoes are suitable for the hike, but a quiet joke is not appropriate at a funeral. In a formal speech, proper language may matter more than friendly language.

appropriate ↗suitable ↗proper ↗fitting ↗

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Appropriate goes back to Latin appropriare, which meant 'make something one's own'. The word came into English through French and Latin forms. That older idea still appears in the verb senses about taking something over or setting it aside for a person or purpose. From the same history, the adjective developed the later sense of something being especially right for a situation.