Appropriate definition

ə-prōprē-ĭt

Words form:

appropriated appropriates appropriating

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Frequency:

Suitable for a particular person, condition, occasion, or place; fitting.

adjective

To take for one's own or exclusive use.

verb

To take possession of or make use of exclusively for oneself, often without permission.

My coworker appropriated my unread newspaper.

verb

Right for the purpose; suitable; fit; proper.

Age-appropriate TV shows for preschoolers.

adjective

(UK, ecclesiastical, law) To annex, as a benefice, to a spiritual corporation, as its property.

verb

To take improperly, as without permission.

verb

To set aside for a specific use or certain person.

To appropriate funds for the schools.

verb

Appropriate is defined as something that is right for the purpose.

Bringing wine to a wine and cheese party is an example of appropriate.

adjective

To set apart for a specific use.

Appropriating funds for education.

verb

Hence, belonging peculiarly; peculiar; suitable; fit; proper.

The headmaster wondered what an appropriate measure would be to make the pupil behave better.

adjective

Suitable to the social situation or to social respect or social discreetness; socially correct; socially discreet; well-mannered; proper.

I don't think it was appropriate for the cashier to tell me out loud in front of all those people at the check-out that my hair-piece looked like it was falling out of place.

While it is not considered appropriate for a professor to date his student, there is no such concern once the semester has ended.

adjective

To take to oneself in exclusion of others; to claim or use as by an exclusive right.

Let no man appropriate the use of a common benefit.

verb

To set apart for, or assign to, a particular person or use, in exclusion of all others; with to or for.

A spot of ground is appropriated for a garden.

To appropriate money for the increase of the navy.

verb

The definition of appropriate is to put aside or take something for one's self or some other specific person.

Stashing away a piece of cake for a friend is an example of to appropriate.

Putting money aside for a vacation is an example of to appropriate.

verb

(archaic) To make suitable; to suit.

William Paley.

verb

Origin of appropriate

Middle English appropriat from Late Latin appropriātus past participle of appropriāre to make one's own Latin ad- ad- Latin proprius own per¹ in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Middle English appropriaten, from Latin appropriatus, past participle of approprio (“to make one's own”), from ad (“to”) + proprio (“to make one's own”), from proprius (“one's own, private”).

From Wiktionary

Appropriate definition

Origin of appropriate

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

From Wiktionary

Appropriate Sentence Examples

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