appropriately

UK: /əˈprəʊpriətli/

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ap•pro•pri•ate /adjective: əˈproʊpriɪt; verb: -ˌeɪt/   adj., v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 
adj. 

1. particularly suitable;
   fitting;
   correct:
   appropriate behavior.
   [be + ~ + to]
   remarks appropriate to the occasion.

v. [~ + object]

2. Government to set apart for a specific purpose:
   appropriated funds for an environmental study.
3. to take for oneself;
   steal:
   They appropriated my ideas as their own.

ap•pro•pri•ate•ly, adv. 
ap•pro•pri•ate•ness, n. [uncountable] See -propr-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ap•pro•pri•ate  (adj. ə prō′prē it;v. ə prō′prē āt′), adj., v., -at•ed, -at•ing. 
adj. 

1. suitable or fitting for a particular purpose, person, occasion, etc.:
   an appropriate example; an appropriate dress.
2. belonging to or peculiar to a person;
   proper:
   Each played his appropriate part.

v.t. 

3. Government to set apart, authorize, or legislate for some specific purpose or use:
   The legislature appropriated funds for the university.
4. to take to or for oneself;
   take possession of.
5. to take without permission or consent;
   seize;
   expropriate:
   He appropriated the trust funds for himself.
6. to steal, esp. to commit petty theft.

• Late Latin appropriātus made one's own (past participle of appropriāre), equivalent. to Latin ap- ap-¹ + propri(us) one's own + -ātus -ate¹
• 1515–25

ap•pro′pri•ate•ly, adv. 
ap•pro′pri•ate•ness, n. 
ap•pro′pri•a•tive  (ə prō′prē ā′tiv, -ə tiv), adj.  ap•pro′pri•a′tive•ness, n. 
ap•pro′pri•a′tor, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. befitting, apt, meet, felicitous, suited, proper, due, becoming, pertinent.
• 3. apportion, allocate, assign.

Antonyms

• 1. unsuitable, inept.