as in suitable
meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation
I don't think jeans and a T-shirt are appropriate attire for a wedding
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in to seize
to take or make use of under a guise of authority but without actual right
archaeologists wrongfully appropriated artifacts excavated at ancient sites for their museums
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to steal
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep
you can't just appropriate somebody's term paper and put your name on it!
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of appropriate
Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Judges have long deferred to the Food and Drug Administration’s judgments on the safety and appropriate regulation of drugs.
—Geoff Mulvihill, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Sam Gringlas, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026
The symbols were easily appropriated for marketing by roadside vendors but weren’t indicative of the separate and distinct Native American cultures in the area.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for appropriate
Adjective
Jennifer Naitaki, a Michaelson Center for Public Policy senior advisor, said the group’s workers keep notes on how the dogs behave outside their kennels, something that helps match the dogs with appropriate new homes.
—Sandra McDonald, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Judges have long deferred to the Food and Drug Administration’s judgments on the safety and appropriate regulation of drugs.
—Geoff Mulvihill, Chicago Tribune, 1 May 2026
Verb
The administration has refused to spend money Congress has appropriated, like for foreign aid, and has spent money that Congress has not appropriated, like to pay DHS employees despite a shutdown.
—Sam Gringlas, NPR, 13 Apr. 2026
The symbols were easily appropriated for marketing by roadside vendors but weren’t indicative of the separate and distinct Native American cultures in the area.
—Susan Montoya Bryan, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for appropriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appropriate
Adjective
-
This will require recurring cost, however, making the recurring purchase of purified water for a filterless humidifier is just as suitable a solution.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
30 Apr. 2026
-
It should be noted that maples or any other plants that require regular moisture and protection from summer sun are most suitable for container growing.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
That collapse is spurred not just by Napoleon, but also outside pressure from the human-run Pilkington Corporation, intent on reclaiming the freedom that these precious cartoon animals just seized.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Israel and Egypt have imposed varying degrees of a blockade on Gaza since Hamas seized power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Someone on South Bascom Avenue reported a check that had previously been stolen from the mail at her apartment complex led to her bank account information being stolen and a $500 charge being made.—
Jake Richardson,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
-
Police said the group stole items from the store before driving away in the SUV.—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
1 May 2026
Adjective
-
Kirsten Kelly-Vargas and her husband, Gary, felt a similar urgency to acquire the proper attire for the occasion.—
Audrey Pachuta,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
-
Ashlyn Needham wrote in Southern Living that proper hanging matters more than people realize.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
His first exhibition in 1963 reportedly caused a stir, with a vice squad identifying pornography in at least two of his paintings and confiscating them.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 May 2026
-
His first exhibition in 1963 reportedly caused a stir, with a vice squad identifying pornography in at least two of his paintings, and confiscating them.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Imagine swiping a card at a corner station, unlocking a bicycle, riding to the store or your office or the park or the beach and locking the bike at another station.—
Harry Bubbins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Because the brand studied undertones to create a collection that would be true to the tube when Black and Brown people swiped it on.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The quirky family dramedy featured a now-iconic soundtrack by Denver’s gypsy-punk-folk-mariachi act DeVotchKa, and having that band play the 20th anniversary seems like a fitting tribute to the title that helped turn DeVotchKa into an international touring force.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
30 Apr. 2026
-
King Charles is a longtime environmentalist and advocate for sustainability, so the visit to the Harlem Grown nonprofit was a fitting one.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Mikal Bridges grabbed the offensive rebound and threw it out to Jalen Brunson.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
5 May 2026
-
The director also grabbed images on the fly, using his iPhone during location scouting to get close-ups of the insects and on set during forest chases.—
Stuart Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Appropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appropriate. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
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