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appropriate
in a sentence
grouped by contextual meaning

appropriate as in:  it is appropriate

These clothes aren't appropriate for work.
appropriate = suitable (fitting) for a particular situation
Show 3 more with this contextual meaning
  • The movie is not appropriate for young children.
  • We disagree about what is appropriate.
  • Her behavior was inappropriate.
    inappropriate = not suitable (not right for a particular situation)
    standard prefix: The prefix "in-" in inappropriate means not and reverses the meaning of appropriate. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
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Show 10 more with 7 word variations
  • Of course, we would wait the appropriate amount of time out of respect for my brother.  (source)
    appropriate = proper
  • IOI's patented customer courtesy software had detected the inappropriate nature of my response and muted it, so the customer didn't hear what I'd said.  (source)
    inappropriate = improper
    standard prefix: The prefix "in-" in inappropriate means not and reverses the meaning of appropriate. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
  • "How'd she look?" inquired Little Man, interested enough to glance up from the road for the first time. T.J. looked around grimly and whispered, "Like . . . death." He waited a moment for his words to be appropriately shocking, but the effect was spoiled by Little Man, who asked lightly, "What does death look like?"  (source)
    appropriately = in a manner fitting for the situation
  • How inappropriately hormonal can one boy be?  (source)
    inappropriately = improperly
    standard prefix: The prefix "in-" in inappropriately means not and reverses the meaning of appropriately. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
  • It was the appropriateness that could have stood in my way.†  (source)
    appropriateness = the quality or degree of being suitable (fitting) for a particular situation
    standard suffix: The suffix "-ness" converts an adjective to a noun that means the quality of. This is the same pattern you see in words like darkness, kindness, and coolness.
  • His apparel was striking in its inappropriateness to the rough life of the plains.†  (source)
    inappropriateness = the quality or degree of being unsuitable (not fitting) for a particular situation
    standard prefix: The prefix "in-" in inappropriateness means not and reverses the meaning of appropriateness. This is the same pattern you see in words like invisible, incomplete, and insecure.
  • It might be that he lived a more real life within his thoughts than amid the unappropriate environment of the Collector's office.  (source)
    unappropriate = not suitable (not fitting)
    standard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unappropriate means not and reverses the meaning of appropriate. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky. But this is exceedingly rare. Typically inappropriate is used instead.
  • He obviously thought that today wasn't the appropriate time for his friend to die.  (source)
    appropriate = right (suitable or fitting)
  • I'm afraid you're going to think this very inappropriate.  (source)
    inappropriate = improper (not suitable for the situation)
  • He explained that little girls need to be instructed in how to behave appropriately around men, so as not to be too inviting.  (source)
    appropriately = properly
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appropriate as in:  appropriate from their culture

Show 3 more with this contextual meaning
  • She appropriated my idea as her own.
    appropriated = took
  • She appropriated my coffee as she ran to the meeting.
    appropriated = took without asking
  • She wears a long woolen coat, no doubt something the girls have appropriated from the Canada with no objection from the SS.  (source)
    appropriated = taken
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Show 10 more with 8 word variations
  • As the Peacekeepers fell, weapons were appropriated for the rebels.  (source)
    appropriated = taken
  • To be more precise: You have told us at last your secret, in your words, so 'disgraceful,' though in reality—that is, of course, comparatively speaking—this action, that is, the appropriation of three thousand roubles belonging to some one else, and, of course, only for a time is, in my view at least, only an act of the greatest recklessness and not so disgraceful, when one takes into consideration your character….  (source)
    appropriation = taking
    standard suffix: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.
  • Amid widespread panic, the Lizard Men had made parts of Eurasia and South America their slave colonies, appropriating the younger women for their hellish breeding experiments and burying the corpses of the men in enormous pits, after eating the parts of them they preferred.  (source)
  • I can, of course, imagine it being deconstructed nowadays as a paradigm of colonialism, with Kevin figuring as the benign imperialist (or the missionary in the wake of the imperialist), the one who intervenes and appropriates the indigenous life and interferes with its pristine ecology.†  (source)
    appropriates = takes without asking
  • As we glided nearer, the stranger showed French colours from his peak; and by the eddying cloud of vulture sea-fowl that circled, and hovered, and swooped around him, it was plain that the whale alongside must be what the fishermen call a blasted whale, that is, a whale that has died unmolested on the sea, and so floated an unappropriated corpse.†  (source)
    unappropriated = not taken
    standard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unappropriated means not and reverses the meaning of appropriated. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
  • To Mrs. Yeobright, as soon as she could calmly reflect, there was much likelihood in this, for she could hardly believe that Wildeve would really appropriate money belonging to her son.  (source)
    appropriate = take without asking
  • It must be observed that, among other appropriations from his master's stock, Adolph was in the habit of adopting his name and address;  (source)
    appropriations = things taken
    standard suffix: The suffix "-tions", converts a verb into a plural noun that denotes results of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in actions, illustrations, and observations.
  • He knew very well that he was the proprietor or appropriator of the money, which, according to all proper calculation, ought to have fallen to his younger brother, and he had, we may be sure, some secret pangs of remorse within him, which warned him that he ought to perform some act of justice, or, let us say, compensation, towards these disappointed relations.†  (source)
    appropriator = someone who takes something without asking
  • Whenever one of them made a move she had never seen before, she quickly appropriated it--imagined it as part of her own repertoire.  (source)
    appropriated = took
  • The last chance for an officer to enrich her house through connections to new citizens, or even through outright appropriation.†  (source)
    appropriation = to take without asking
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appropriate as in:  Congress will appropriate funds

Show 3 more with this contextual meaning
  • Congress appropriated additional funds for airport improvement.
    appropriated = set aside
  • Money is appropriated for a two-year budget cycle during odd-numbered years.
    appropriated = set aside for particular purposes
  • Sincerely, Hilly Holbrook
    President and Chairman of Appropriations  (source)
    Appropriations = committee that designates funding
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Show 10 more with 5 word variations
  • Grimmer had to run an understaffed and underfunded institution and try to keep the whole thing together with spit, baling wire, and nickle-and-dime appropriations from a state legislature who had to go back and face the voters.  (source)
    appropriations = budget
    standard suffix: The suffix "-tions", converts a verb into a plural noun that denotes results of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in actions, illustrations, and observations.
  • In early spring Bennington finally chose a contractor to come to Yamacraw to install the air conditioners for which the board of education had appropriated money the previous summer.  (source)
    appropriated = budgeted (assigned for a particular use)
  • The deacon board, however, did appropriate funds for him to buy a new suit.  (source)
    appropriate = provide
  • granting an annual appropriation of two thousand dollars.  (source)
    appropriation = designation (setting aside for a special purpose)
    standard suffix: The suffix "-tion", converts a verb into a noun that denotes the action or result of the verb. Typically, there is a slight change in the ending of the root verb, as in action, education, and observation.
  • Although the British Constitution doesn't have a term limit for appropriating supplies to the army, in practice the parliament has limited it to one year.  (source)
    appropriating = designating (for a particular use)
  • Appropriations for Sardaukar training went down steadily in the final thirty years before the Arrakis Revolt.  (source)
    Appropriations = budget
  • I cannot describe the delight I felt when I learned the ideas appropriated to each of these sounds and was able to pronounce them.  (source)
    appropriated = assigned
  • The same group can RAISE TROOPS to an INDEFINITE NUMBER, and appropriate money to support them for an INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME.  (source)
    appropriate = allocate (budget for a particular use)
  • A peacetime military ban tries to do too much and will not be obeyed; a two-year appropriation provides for emergencies and will be a powerful remedy.  (source)
    appropriation = designation of funds (budgeted for a particular use)
  • The funds were buried under top-secret, eyes-only contingency appropriations.  (source)
    appropriations = budget
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