APPROPRIATE

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does appropriate mean? 

• APPROPRIATE (adjective)
  The adjective APPROPRIATE has 1 sense:

1. suitable for a particular person or place or condition etc

  Familiarity information: APPROPRIATE used as an adjective is very rare.

• APPROPRIATE (verb)
  The verb APPROPRIATE has 2 senses:

1. give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

2. take possession of by force, as after an invasion

  Familiarity information: APPROPRIATE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• APPROPRIATE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Suitable for a particular person or place or condition etc

Context example:

it seems that an apology is appropriate

Similar:

befitting (appropriate to)

grade-appropriate (the quality of ability and work that is appropriate for students in a specified grade)

pat (exactly suited to the occasion)

proper; right (appropriate for a condition or purpose or occasion or a person's character, needs)

Also:

apropos (of an appropriate or pertinent nature)

proper (marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness)

Attribute:

appropriateness (the quality of being specially suitable)

Antonym:

inappropriate (not suitable for a particular occasion etc)

Derivation:

appropriateness (the quality of being specially suitable)

• APPROPRIATE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they appropriate ... he / she / it appropriates   
Past simple: appropriated   
Past participle: appropriated   
-ing form: appropriating   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Give or assign a resource to a particular person or cause

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

allow; appropriate; earmark; reserve; set aside

Context example:

She sets aside time for meditation every day

Hypernyms (to "appropriate" is one way to...):

allot; assign; portion (give out)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something to somebody

Derivation:

appropriable (that can be appropriated)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Take possession of by force, as after an invasion

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

appropriate; capture; conquer; seize

Context example:

The militia captured the castle

Hypernyms (to "appropriate" is one way to...):

arrogate; assume; seize; take over; usurp (seize and take control without authority and possibly with force; take as one's right or possession)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "appropriate"):

carry (capture after a fight)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something from somebody

Derivation:

appropriative (of or relating to or given to the act of taking for yourself)

appropriator (someone who takes for his or her own use (especially without permission))

 Context examples 

Açaí juice contamination can be avoided by appropriate handling of the fruit, including dipping the fruit in boiling water for ten seconds and then spraying them with cold water.

(Açaí fruit can transmit Chagas disease, SciDev.Net)

On the basis of these principles, moderate intake of carbohydrate (eg, roughly 50% of energy) is likely to be more appropriate for the general population than are very low or very high intakes.

(Moderate Carbohydrate Intake May be Best for Health, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

One measure they were looking for was ‘sensitivity’ – the ability to notice, interpret and respond in a timely and appropriate manner to children’s signals, for example if the baby was upset.

(Mother’s attitude towards baby during pregnancy may have implications for child’s development, University of Cambridge)

Therefore, Wondji, said it's important to study all species of malaria-carrying mosquitoes in order to implement appropriate and successful malaria management strategies.

(Malaria-carrying Mosquitoes Becoming Resistant to Bed Nets in Southern Africa, VOA)

A spray that is packaged under pressure and released upon activation of an appropriate valve system.

(Aerosol Spray Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

Upon exposure to light of appropriate wavelength (red, or blue), PpIX catalyzes oxygen to singlet oxygen, an intracellular toxin, which can further react to form superoxide and hydroxyl radicals.

(Aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride, NCI Thesaurus)

A value used as a form filler when no specified type of Biophysics is appropriate.

(Biophysics, Other, NCI Thesaurus)

In medicine, treatment that experts agree is appropriate, accepted, and widely used.

(Best practice, NCI Dictionary)

Assessment of individual responses to age appropriate stimuli.

(Behavioral Assessment, NCI Thesaurus)

Concentration in serum of the antibody that recognizes a particular epitope expressed as the reciprocal of the highest serum dilution that produces the specific positive immunologic reaction in an appropriate test system.

(Antibody Titer, NCI Thesaurus)