Meaning & use
fit for purpose
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Meaning
phraseidiomformalbusiness
Good enough and suitable for the purpose it is intended for.
Grammar: Used after the verb 'be' or 'remain': The product is fit for purpose. Not used before a noun; say 'a suitable product' instead.
Patterns
- be fit for purpose
- remain fit for purpose
- consider something fit for purpose
The new software is fit for purpose and meets all our needs.
After the repairs, the building was once again fit for purpose.
The court decided that the equipment was not fit for purpose and ordered a refund.
Common combinations
- be fit for purpose
- The old computer is no longer fit for purpose.
- remain fit for purpose
- The bridge must remain fit for purpose for another fifty years.
- not fit for purpose
- The report was criticized as not fit for purpose.
- deem something fit for purpose
- The inspector deemed the vehicle fit for purpose.
Synonyms and how they differ
- suitable
- A more general word meaning right for a situation; 'fit for purpose' is more formal and suggests a specific intended use.
- adequate
- Means enough or satisfactory, but not necessarily perfect for the intended purpose; 'fit for purpose' focuses on suitability for a specific job.
Opposites
Word family
- fitness for purpose noun
- The quality of being suitable for the intended use.
Commonly confused: fit for purpose or fit?
fit for purpose vs fit
As an adjective, 'fit' can mean healthy or attractive, but in this phrase it means suitable.
Practice
The manager said the old printer was not ______, so she ordered a new one.
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'fit for purpose', meaning suitable for its intended use. 'Fit to purpose' and 'fit with purpose' are not standard, and 'on purpose' means deliberately.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fit for purpose”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.