suitability

suitability — noun

1. how well a person or thing fits a particular job, situation, or use, because the

1.nounB2
Definition

how well a person or thing fits a particular job, situation, or use, because they have the right qualities needed.

Example

The committee questioned the suitability of the park for a music festival.

suitability of [noun] for [purpose]

Rafael's training and experience prove his suitability for the teaching job.

Common collocations
  • assess / evaluate / determine suitability
  • question / doubt suitability
  • suitability for a role / job / purpose
  • suitability as a candidate / shelter / location
  • suitability of a person / material / site
Synonyms
  • appropriateness

    more formal, often used in social or behavioural contexts

  • fitness

    emphasises being qualified or competent for a role

  • aptness

    less common, more literary tone

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the suitability of + noun for + noun

suitability for + noun/gerund

suitability as + noun

Usage Note

Usually uncountable. Most often used to describe how well a person, object, or place matches the requirements of a job, role, or purpose in formal or evaluative contexts.

Common Mistakes

The manager doubted his suitability in the position.
The manager doubted his suitability for the position.
'suitability' is followed by 'for' (or 'of' and 'as'), not 'in'.
There are many suitabilities we need to check.
There are many factors of suitability we need to check.
'suitability' is uncountable and cannot be made plural.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe the idea of being right for a purpose, but they differ in nuance and use. 'Suitability' is the broadest term, covering any situation where something matches a need — a candidate for a job, a material for a use, a time for an event. 'Appropriateness' leans toward social or behavioural correctness: you would question the appropriateness of a joke at a funeral, not its suitability. 'Fitness' focuses on qualification and capability, especially for roles or tasks — a doctor's fitness to practise medicine. 'Aptness' suggests a natural, almost elegant fit, often used for descriptions or comparisons: the aptness of a metaphor. For job evaluations, use 'suitability' or 'fitness'; for social judgements, 'appropriateness'; for literary or stylistic choices, 'aptness'.

appropriatenessfitness ↗aptness

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • suitability for the role
  • suitability of a candidate
  • suitability as a location

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinAnglo-NormanEnglish

The noun 'suitability' was formed in the 1600s from the adjective 'suitable' and the suffix '-ity', which turns adjectives into abstract nouns. 'Suitable' (late 1500s) combines the verb 'suit' (meaning 'to be appropriate or fit') with '-able' ('capable of being'). The verb 'suit' comes from Anglo-Norman 'suit' (a set of matching things, a following), tracing back to Latin 'sequī' meaning 'to follow' — the idea being that one thing 'follows' or 'matches' another, so it is fitting.