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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective suitable differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of suitable are appropriate, apt, felicitous, fitting, fit, happy, meet, and proper. While all these words mean "right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance," suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

In what contexts can appropriate take the place of suitable?

The meanings of appropriate and suitable largely overlap; however, appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

Where would apt be a reasonable alternative to suitable?

The synonyms apt and suitable are sometimes interchangeable, but apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

When could felicitous be used to replace suitable?

In some situations, the words felicitous and suitable are roughly equivalent. However, felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

When is fit a more appropriate choice than suitable?

While in some cases nearly identical to suitable, fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

When would fitting be a good substitute for suitable?

While the synonyms fitting and suitable are close in meaning, fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

When might happy be a better fit than suitable?

The words happy and suitable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

When is it sensible to use meet instead of suitable?

The words meet and suitable can be used in similar contexts, but meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

When can proper be used instead of suitable?

Although the words proper and suitable have much in common, proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of suitable This program is suitable for adults and children 7 and up. Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2025 Securities, investment products, other financial products or strategies discussed herein may not be suitable for all investors. Katie Stockton, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2025 Thermal Cold weather turns off many golfers, but some spring and fall days are still suitable for golf. Bestreviews, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2025 The use of variable intake cam timing could improve performance and efficiency, making the bike suitable for both inexperienced and seasoned riders seeking a hassle-free riding experience. New Atlas, 15 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for suitable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suitable
Adjective
  • Despite their respective errors, Chae-yeon, Sakamoto, and Glenn have all qualified to compete in Friday’s free skate.
    Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • If you’re set on purchasing anything with potentially faulty wiring, just be prepared to have your secondhand find rewired by a qualified electrician.
    Emily Williams, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • For example, Facebook could allow for appropriate levels of parental oversight of teen accounts while preserving privacy.
    Abdulmalik Alluhidan, The Conversation, 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
Adjective
  • Forbes Daily: Join over 1 million Forbes Daily subscribers and get our best stories, exclusive reporting and essential analysis of the day’s news in your inbox every weekday.
    Erik Kain, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • And snood size is the quickest, easiest way for a hen to gauge whether the gobbler strutting his stuff in front of her is a good genetic candidate for her future poults.
    Alice Jones Webb, Outdoor Life, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • This feels fitting for a company that aims to make people roll around with raucous laughter.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Even more fitting is the sustainable aspect of the collection, which draws awareness to dwindling marine life.
    Violet Goldstone, WWD, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Engels, which is used for launching missile strikes on Ukrainian territory, houses bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
    Katya Soldak, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
  • Poles found him someone who might be capable of doing just that.
    Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • However, a movie can’t be a hit at the international box office without a proper theatrical release internationally.
    Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Without proper staffing, students will be underserved and left without the accommodations they are legally entitled to receive.
    Melanie L. Thomas, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • To ensure competent engagement in critical AI governance decisions, effective directors require at least a foundational level of AI competency, if not more.
    John M. Bremen, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • And the American people should be grateful to these individuals and especially to President Trump for putting together such a competent and highly qualified team who are killing terrorists that the Biden administration allowed to run wild in the Middle East.
    Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The fitted bodice transitions into a peplum waistline, before breaking out into a full skirt.
    Lori A Bashian Fox News, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2025
  • Coldwell Banker Warburg One of the two fitted dressing rooms in the primary suite.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 7 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Suitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suitable. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on suitable

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