appropriate

1 of 2

adjective

ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ə-ˈprō-prē-ət 

: especially suitable or compatible : fitting

an appropriate response

remarks appropriate to the occasion

appropriately adverb

appropriateness noun

appropriate

2 of 2

verb

ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt 

appropriated; appropriating

transitive verb

1

: to take exclusive possession of : annex

No one should appropriate a common benefit.

2

: to set apart for or assign to a particular purpose or use

appropriate money for a research program

3

: to take or make use of without authority or right

natural habitats that have been appropriated for human use

appropriable

ə-ˈprō-prē-ə-bəl 

adjective

appropriator

ə-ˈprō-prē-ˌā-tər 

noun

Did you know?

From its roots, the verb appropriate would mean basically "make one's own"—that is, "take", or sometimes "grab". Each year the President and Congress create a budget and appropriate funds for each item in it, funds which mostly come in the form of taxes from the public. In the House of Representatives, the powerful Appropriations Committee often gets the last word on how much money goes to each program. "Misappropriation of funds", on the other hand, is a nice way of saying "theft". If someone appropriated pieces of your novel, you might take him or her to court; and if you appropriated trade secrets from your former employers, you might be the one sued.

Synonyms

Adjective

• applicable
• apt
• becoming
• befitting
• felicitous
• fit
• fitted
• fitting
• good
• happy
• meet
• pretty
• proper
• right
• suitable

Verb

• arrogate
• commandeer
• convert
• expropriate
• pirate
• preempt
• press
• seize
• take over
• usurp

Choose the Right Synonym for appropriate

fit, suitable, meet, proper, appropriate, fitting, apt, happy, felicitous mean right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance.

fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

Examples of appropriate in a Sentence

Adjective

More than almost anyone writing today, Slater, whose prose is astringent and sensuous by turn, reflects both a genuine feeling for and appreciation of foods appropriate to the season—and a tolerance for kitchen disasters. —Cynthia Zarin, Gourmet, April 2007

Crepuscular means "pertaining to twilight." It sounds so lovely. I use the word as much as possible, even when it's not appropriate. —Bob Berman, Astronomy, June 2006

While working as one of the exhibition curators, I was surprised to learn that, until the 1920s, ice cream was properly eaten with a fork, a cumbersome technique decried by none other than Florence Howe hall, the granddaughter of Julia Ward Howe, who wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". But if high society eventually agreed on a more appropriate utensil for eating the frozen-dessert, even the most au courant hostess may have had trouble deciding what kind of device should be used for serving it … —Darra Goldstein, Saveur, June-July 2006

Three days. There was no way on this earth that proper due diligence could be done in such a limited time. For a merger of this magnitude, a week's worth of due diligence would have been more appropriate. —Nina Munk, Vanity Fair, January 2004

Red wine would have been a more appropriate choice with the meal.

The movie is perfectly appropriate to people of all ages.

Verb

From this source it was appropriated by Wilhelm Ropke in his effort to develop a social and political theory in which the market economy would be reconciled with the local community. —Roger Scruton, National Review, 20 June 2005

Dr. Seuss's mother, also the daughter of German immigrants, was Henrietta Seuss, and when he appropriated the name for his books Dr. Seuss pronounced it in the German manner, "soice," until he realized that Americans naturally read the name as "soose," and that the American pronunciation of "Dr. Seuss" evoked a figure advantageous for an author of children's books to be associated with—Mother Goose. —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 23 & 30 Dec. 2002

Wales, in contrast, was officially appropriated into the United Kingdom by Henry VIII's Acts of Union, in 1536 and 1543, before it had developed the apparatus of a modern state. —Pamela Petro, Atlantic, April 1999

The town has appropriated funds to repair the bridge and work should begin this summer.

The economy has been weakened by corrupt officials who have appropriated the country's resources for their own use.

Elements of the design were appropriated from other architects.

The term “bad” has been appropriated by teenagers as a synonym for “good.”

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Board believes that this governance structure, combined with the risk assessment obligations placed on its subsidiaries related to the use of Artificial Intelligence, provide an appropriate level of oversight at this time and an independent Artificial Intelligence committee is not needed. —Bob Zukis, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025

Routine blood work minimizes the chance of nutrient deficiencies and allows for appropriate adjustments to your supplement routine.4 Limit Alcohol The body absorbs alcohol more quickly after bariatric surgery. —Amy Brownstein, Ms, Rdn, Verywell Health, 19 Mar. 2025

Verb

In response, the City Council appropriated the largest TIF surplus in the history of Chicago and gave CPS a record $300 million to help cover the cost of the payment. —Jason Ervin, Chicago Tribune, 19 Mar. 2025

That money was never appropriated by Congress, however, because the government has been functioning under a series of temporary stopgap measures called continuing resolutions since the office was created in 2022. —Brenda Goodman, CNN, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Adjective

Middle English, from Late Latin appropriatus, past participle of appropriare, from Latin ad- + proprius own

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for appropriate

• inappropriate

Kids Definition

appropriate

1 of 2 verb

ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt 

appropriated; appropriating

1

: to take for one's own often without right

2

: to set apart for a particular purpose or use

appropriate funds for research

appropriate

2 of 2 adjective

ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ə-ˈprō-prē-ət 

: especially suitable or fitting

appropriately adverb

appropriateness noun

Legal Definition

appropriate

transitive verb

ap·​pro·​pri·​ate ə-ˈprō-prē-ˌāt 

appropriated; appropriating

1

: to set apart for or assign to a particular recipient, purpose, or use

the legislature appropriating funds for the program

2

: to take or make use of without authority or right

appropriation

ə-ˌprō-prē-ˈā-shən 

noun

Etymology

Transitive verb

Late Latin appropriare to take possession of, from ad to, for + proprius one's own