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Meaning & use

fit for a purpose

phrase·Advancedformal

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UK/ˌfɪt fər ə ˈpɜːpəs/
US/ˌfɪt fər ə ˈpɜːrpəs/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phraseformal

    suitable or good enough for the job or aim it is meant to serve.

    Grammar: Used after the noun it describes: a tool fit for a purpose. It rarely takes an object directly.

    Patterns

    • be fit for a purpose
    • make something fit for a purpose

    The old building is no longer fit for a purpose in modern medicine.

    Before we buy the machine, we must check that it is fit for a purpose.

    A cheap knife may be fit for a purpose in the kitchen but useless in surgery.

  2. phrasefixed phraseformal

    appropriate or acceptable for a particular situation or occasion.

    Grammar: Often used in negative sentences to say something is not appropriate: not fit for a purpose such as a formal dinner.

    Patterns

    • not fit for a purpose
    • hardly fit for a purpose

    That casual jacket is hardly fit for a purpose like a job interview.

    The speech was not fit for a purpose as serious as a memorial.

    Her comments were fit for a purpose in a comedy show, not a courtroom.

Common combinations

fit for a purpose
The committee asked whether the design was fit for a purpose.
no longer fit for a purpose
The bridge is no longer fit for a purpose after the flood.
perfectly fit for a purpose
A simple wooden table is perfectly fit for a purpose in a workshop.
make something fit for a purpose
A few repairs will make the shed fit for a purpose again.

Synonyms and how they differ

suitable
Suitable is the everyday word for something that works well for a situation; fit for a purpose is more formal and stresses the specific job.
appropriate
Appropriate focuses on what is socially or officially right, while fit for a purpose focuses on practical usefulness.
adequate
Adequate means just enough, not necessarily well matched; fit for a purpose suggests a closer match to the aim.

Opposites

unfitunsuitable

Word family

fitness noun
the state of being suitable or healthy.
fitting adjective
right or suitable for an occasion.

Commonly confused: fit for a purpose or fit for purpose?

fit for a purpose vs fit for purpose

This shorter phrase is more common in British business and legal English; fit for a purpose is a slightly more general, countable version.

Practice

The old laptop is still ______ for a purpose like writing essays.

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