Appropriate Definition

ə-prōprē-ĭt
appropriated, appropriates, appropriating
adjective
Suitable for a particular person, condition, occasion, or place; fitting.
American Heritage
Right for the purpose; suitable; fit; proper.
Age-appropriate TV shows for preschoolers.
Webster's New World

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

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

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.
Wiktionary
verb
appropriated, appropriates, appropriating
To set apart for a specific use.
Appropriating funds for education.
American Heritage
To take for one's own or exclusive use.
Webster's New World
To take possession of or make use of exclusively for oneself, often without permission.
My coworker appropriated my unread newspaper.
American Heritage
To take improperly, as without permission.
Webster's New World
To set aside for a specific use or certain person.
To appropriate funds for the schools.
Webster's New World

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

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to appropriate using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

appropriate