suitable

adjective

suit·​able ˈsü-tə-bəl How to pronounce suitable (audio)
1
a
: adapted to a use or purpose
suitable for kitchen use
b
: satisfying propriety : proper
suitable dress
c
: able, qualified
a suitable candidate for the job
2
obsolete : similar, matching
suitability noun
suitableness noun
suitably adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for suitable

fit, suitable, meet, proper, appropriate, fitting, apt, happy, felicitous mean right with respect to some end, need, use, or circumstance.

fit stresses adaptability and sometimes special readiness for use or action.

fit for battle

suitable implies an answering to requirements or demands.

clothes suitable for camping

meet suggests a just proportioning.

meet payment

proper suggests a suitability through essential nature or accordance with custom.

proper acknowledgement

appropriate implies eminent or distinctive fitness.

an appropriate gift

fitting implies harmony of mood or tone.

a fitting end

apt connotes a fitness marked by nicety and discrimination.

apt quotations

happy suggests what is effectively or successfully appropriate.

a happy choice of words

felicitous suggests an aptness that is opportune, telling, or graceful.

a felicitous phrase

Examples of suitable in a Sentence

The dress was a suitable choice. We upgraded the computer to make it suitable to our needs.
Recent Examples on the Web Satellites provide constant, high-resolution imagery, which is used to analyze suitable landscapes from space. Rebecca Cairns, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 This career is suitable only for those who have a true calling. Boris Sollazzo, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Mar. 2024 The tasks most suitable to this kind of automation would include procurement and risk assessments, customer onboarding, mortgage and insurance claims processing, and managing import and export logistics documentation, according to Interloom. Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2024 Each day includes about five to seven miles of walking — and is suitable for anyone who can walk for about three to four hours comfortably. Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 13 Mar. 2024 Responses are for informational purposes only and individuals should consider whether any general recommendation in these responses are suitable for their particular circumstances based on investment objectives, financial situation and needs. Amy Wagner and Steve Hruby, The Enquirer, 12 Mar. 2024 Hose Size Each sprinkler will state the suitable hose size needed to operate, but the typical size used for tasks requiring high water pressure (such as water sprinklers) is ⅝ inches. Kat De Naoum, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 Mar. 2024 Rare circumstances, but not unprecedented, occur in Idaho BOISE, Idaho -- For almost an hour, members of Idaho's execution team searched to find a suitable vein in the body of death row prisoner Thomas Creech to deliver the dose of deadly drugs needed to fulfill his death sentence. Kevin Fixler Idaho Statesman (tns), arkansasonline.com, 10 Mar. 2024 The interior has a more modern layout, although rear seating is still best suitable only for petite individuals. James Raia, The Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'suitable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of suitable was in 1563

Dictionary Entries Near suitable

Cite this Entry

“Suitable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/suitable. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

suitable

adjective
suit·​able ˈsüt-ə-bəl How to pronounce suitable (audio)
1
: adapted to a use or purpose
food suitable for human consumption
2
: being fit or right for a use or group
clothes suitable to the occasion
a movie suitable for children
3
: qualified sense 1, capable
looking for a suitable replacement
suitability noun
suitableness
ˈsüt-ə-bəl-nəs
noun
suitably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on suitable

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