Meaning & use
appropriate
Last updated
Suitable or proper for a particular situation, person, or purpose.
See it in a sentence
She wore appropriate clothing for the formal interview.
It wasn't the appropriate moment to bring up the bad news.
A note on using this word
As a verb (pronounced differently, with stress on the second syllable), 'appropriate' means to take something for one's own use, often without permission, as in 'cultural appropriation.'
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. verb
To take or use something for one's own purpose, often without right or permission.
The committee appropriated funds meant for road repairs to build a new park instead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “appropriate”, then compare your use with the examples above.