All 3 Uses of
appropriate
in
Cold Sassy Tree
- Unfortunately, Aunt Carrie decided early the morning of the funeral that Mary Toy's fiery red hair looked "inappropriate" for such a sad occasion.†
inappropriate = unsuitable (not fitting) for a particular situationstandard 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.
- It didn't seem appropriate to be joking like that, Will, Miss Mattie Lou being so recently dead.
*appropriate = proper
- Miss Love turned to him and said in a flirty voice, "Mr. Blakeslee, don't you agree it's not appropriate for me to be called Mrs. Blakeslee?"†
Definitions:
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(1)
(appropriate as in: it is appropriate) suitable (fitting) for a particular situation
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(2)
(appropriate as in: appropriate from their culture) to take without asking -- often without right
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(3)
(appropriate as in: Congress will appropriate funds) to set aside for a particular use