appropriate

ap·pro·pri·ate

Use appropriate in a sentence

Wine is an appropriate pairing with cheese.

adjective

Appropriate is defined as something that is right for the purpose.
Bringing wine to a wine and cheese party is an example of appropriate.

verb

The definition of appropriate is to put aside or take something for one's self or some other specific person.
1. Stashing away a piece of cake for a friend is an example of to appropriate.
2. Putting money aside for a vacation is an example of to appropriate.

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MLA Style

"appropriate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Appropriate>.

APA Style

appropriate. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Appropriate

appropriate

transitive verb

-·at·ed, -·at·ing

to take for one's own or exclusive use
to take improperly, as without permission
to set aside for a specific use or certain person: to appropriate funds for the schools

Origin of appropriate

Middle English appropriaten from Late Latin appropriatus, past participle of appropriare, to make one's own from Classical Latin ad-, to + proprius, one's own

right for the purpose; suitable; fit; proper: often in comb.: age-appropriate TV shows for preschoolers

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MLA Style

"appropriate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Appropriate>.

APA Style

appropriate. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Appropriate

appropriate

adjective

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

transitive verb

ap·pro·pri·at·ed, ap·pro·pri·at·ing, ap·pro·pri·ates

To set apart for a specific use: appropriating funds for education.
To take possession of or make use of exclusively for oneself, often without permission: My coworker appropriated my unread newspaper.

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 ; see per¹ in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

ap·pro′pri·ate·ly
adverb

ap·pro′pri·ate·ness
noun

ap·pro′pri·a′tive
adjective

ap·pro′pri·a′tor
noun

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"appropriate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Appropriate>.

APA Style

appropriate. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Appropriate

appropriate

appropriate arrogate commandeer confiscate preempt usurp

These verbs mean to seize for oneself or as one's right: appropriated the family car; arrogated the chair at the head of the table; commandeered a plane for the escape; confiscating stolen property; preempted the glory for herself; usurped the throne.

See Also Synonyms at allocate.

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"appropriate." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 24 June 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/Appropriate>.

APA Style

appropriate. (n.d.). Retrieved June 24th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/Appropriate

Adjective

(comparative more appropriate, superlative most appropriate)

Hence, belonging peculiarly; peculiar; suitable; fit; proper.
The headmaster wondered what an appropriate measure would be to make the pupil behave better.
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.

Antonyms

(all senses): inappropriate

Verb

(third-person singular simple present appropriates, present participle appropriating, simple past and past participle appropriated)

(archaic) To make suitable; to suit.
William Paley
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.
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
(UK, ecclesiastical, law) To annex, as a benefice, to a spiritual corporation, as its property.

Origin

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”).

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.