opportune

adjective

op·​por·​tune ˌä-pər-ˈtün 

-ˈtyün

1

: suitable or convenient for a particular occurrence

an opportune moment

the legal authorities helped by the opportune use of their powers of arrest

—T. E. Vedney

2

: occurring at an appropriate time

an opportune offer of assistance

The book's publication is opportune.

opportunely adverb

opportuneness

ˌä-pər-ˈt(y)ün-nəs 

noun

Did you know?

Opportune comes from Latin opportūnus, which can mean "favoring one's needs," "serviceable," or "convenient." The word is a combination of the prefix ob-, meaning "to," and portus, a word for a port or harbor. It alludes to choosing any port in a storm for safety.

Synonyms

• seasonable
• timely
• well-timed

Examples of opportune in a Sentence

There isn't a more opportune time to invest in the stock market.

an opportune rain shower gave them an excuse to leave the outdoor concert early

Recent Examples on the Web

This is an opportune moment for business leaders to rethink their operational strategies, especially in the business services industry, by transitioning from traditional business process outsourcing (BPO) to embrace business process improvement (BPI). —Partha Desarkar, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

There was Isaac, a boy who carried around a miniature shofar in his pocket and blew it at inopportune times, though arguably there are few opportune times to blow a ram’s horn in modern life. —Nicolaia Rips, The New Yorker, 21 June 2024

Rather, this is an opportune time to inject some color. —Kelsey Mulvey, Sunset Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024

Given the uncertainty surrounding future tax legislation, now is an opportune time for high-net-worth individuals to act. —Matthew F. Erskine, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French opportun, borrowed from Latin opportūnus "favoring one's needs, serviceable, convenient," probably originally, "blowing in the direction of a harbor (of a wind)," from ob- ob- + portu-, stem of portus "harbor, port entry 1" + -nus, adjective suffix (vowel length perhaps after the ablative portū)

Note: The name of a god of harbors, Portūnus, appears to be a secondary formation by analogy with Neptūnus "Neptune."

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

Kids Definition

opportune

adjective

op·​por·​tune ˌäp-ər-ˈt(y)ün 

: suitable sense 1, timely

an opportune moment to act

opportunely adverb

Etymology

Middle English opportune "opportune, suitable, fit," from early French opportun (same meaning), from Latin opportunus "fit, suitable, convenient," from ob- "toward" and portus "harbor"

Word Origin

The Latin adjective opportunus was used to mean "fit, suitable, or convenient." It was formed from the prefix ob-, meaning "toward," and portus, meaning "harbor." The original meaning was probably "blowing in the direction of a harbor (of a wind)," and hence "favoring one's needs, convenient." The French took the word as opportun with the same basic meaning, and the word came into English as opportune in the 15th century. Nowadays it is often applied to a suitable or favorable time for something, or to something that occurs or is done at just the right time.