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
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of appropriate
Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Tuesday seemed like an appropriate time on the 60th anniversary of Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against the Chicago Cubs.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
Between 2022 and 2024, Congress appropriated $136 million to FEMA for the Next Generation Warning System grant program.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for appropriate
Adjective
Greatly increasing new company formation by encouraging greater start-up capital pools and appropriate tax incentives.
—Alden Abbott, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
Tuesday seemed like an appropriate time on the 60th anniversary of Sandy Koufax’s perfect game against the Chicago Cubs.
—Doug Padilla, Oc Register, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
In November, six weeks after the raid, Bowyer got a text from a friend who had just seen Ohtani in Newport Beach walking his dog; Bowyer appropriated the sighting as his own as a means of pressuring Mizuhara to engage.
—David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 29 Aug. 2025
Between 2022 and 2024, Congress appropriated $136 million to FEMA for the Next Generation Warning System grant program.
—Michael Copley, NPR, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for appropriate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for appropriate
Adjective
-
Questions over the midfielder being a suitable captain arose when his form dipped in the 2024-25 season.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
This long-sleeve dress is suitable for multiple occasions and easy to style.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That initial investigation led the HPD to obtain a search warrant to seize electronic devices from the property associated with the IP address of the cyber tip, and the department investigated online communications.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Sep. 2025
-
In addition, several firearms and drugs were seized from other residences, according to police.—
Jack Moore,
ABC News,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The bots would impersonate beneficiaries, using dates of birth and other information that can be found on the internet, to try to change the beneficiaries’ bank-routing information and steal their benefits.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Through the first week of September, Soto stole three bases.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
There is a duty of care not to use data for the sake of it, but rather to ensure that analysis stands up to proper scrutiny and scientific rigour where possible.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
-
Leaving clean laundry in the dryer or hamper only puts off a chore until later, keeps clean clothes from its proper place, and also risks wrinkles or someone accidentally mistaking it for dirty laundry instead.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
At a concurrent raid at the STUM’s headquarters, a dozen people in plain clothes, including the Shwe Pyi Thar ward administrator, were described as forcibly entering the office to confiscate laptops and cellphones.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The victims had had their passports and phones confiscated.—
Christine Ro,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
That delay came on the first day that passengers were able to swipe credit cards and ATM cards instead of Clipper cards in its new Tap and Ride system of pay.—
Rick Hurd,
Mercury News,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The companies winning today are those that view payments as strategic capital flow tools, not just portals to swipe.—
Christer Holloman,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That bout was promoted as his return to the ring after a 19-year retirement and was widely regarded as a fitting sendoff.—
Andrew Ravens,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Sinzer, as well wine director Ellis Srubas-Giammanco, also just snagged Michelin’s 2024 New York Sommelier award, making Stars a fitting step on their wine journey.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Video surveillance from the scene posted online by Fox 11 shows a man lingering near a doorway, quickly grabbing the gift box from a table and running out of the venue.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
9 Sep. 2025
-
The owner wanted to keep the grab-and-go options previously offered in the space.—
La Risa R. Lynch,
jsonline.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Appropriate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/appropriate. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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