apt

1 of 2

adjective

ˈapt How to pronounce apt (audio)
Synonyms of aptnext
1
: unusually fitted or qualified : ready
proved an apt tool in the hands of the conspirators
2
a
: having a tendency : likely
plants apt to suffer from drought
b
: ordinarily disposed : inclined
apt to accept what is plausible as true
3
: suited to a purpose
especially : being to the point
an apt quotation
4
: keenly intelligent and responsive
an apt pupil
aptness
ˈap(t)-nəs How to pronounce apt (audio)
noun
Liable vs. Apt: Usage Guide

Both liable and apt when followed by an infinitive are used nearly interchangeably with likely. Although conflicting advice has been given over the years, most current commentators accept apt when so used. They generally recommend limiting liable to situations having an undesirable outcome, and our evidence shows that in edited writing it is more often so used than not.

apt

2 of 2

abbreviation

1
apartment
2
aptitude

Synonyms

Adjective

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for apt

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

quick, prompt, ready, apt mean able to respond without delay or hesitation or indicative of such ability.

quick stresses instancy of response and is likely to connote native rather than acquired power.

quick reflexes
a keen quick mind

prompt is more likely to connote training and discipline that fits one for instant response.

prompt emergency medical care

ready suggests facility or fluency in response.

backed by a pair of ready assistants

apt stresses the possession of qualities (such as intelligence, a particular talent, or a strong bent) that makes quick effective response possible.

an apt student
her answer was apt and to the point

Examples of apt in a Sentence

Adjective “Stripe” is an apt name for the cat, since she has striped fur. that dog is apt to run off if you don't put him on a leash
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
No wonder first-time visitors are apt to re-book before departure. —Bill Prince, theweek, 7 Nov. 2024 Find the nearest rest and ready your rifle, a buck is apt to roll up out of there next. —Michael Hanback, Outdoor Life, 7 Nov. 2024 Fight Club’s insights about the consequences of men rallying around resentment remain apt today, a period in which Donald Trump’s grievance politics and the growing swamp of the manosphere are shaping American masculinity. —Stephen Kearse, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2024 In this latest iteration, Microsoft has ramped up the service agent toolkit with healthcare specific safeguards and intelligence, empowering it to be even more apt for use in healthcare settings. —Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, M.d., J.d., Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for apt 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, borrowed from Latin aptus "fastened, connected, prepared, in good order, good (at doing something), suitable, fitting," past participle of apio, apere "to join, connect," of uncertain origin

Note: Though the presumed participle aptus is well-attested in Latin, the simple verb apere is known only from the lexicographical comments of the Roman grammarian Sextus Pompeius Festus. Possibly related on phonetic grounds to apere are the verbs coepī, coepisse "to begin" (attested only in the perfect) and apīscor, apīscī "to seize hold of, grasp, obtain, secure." The Latin complex is conventionally linked with Sanskrit ā́pa and Avestan āpa "has reached," Sanskrit āpnóti "reaches, overtakes," and Hittite epzi "seizes, captures," and appanzi "(they) seize," from an alleged Indo-European verbal base *h1ep- "seize" (with the perfects in Latin and Sanskrit the outcome of a reduplicated *h1e-h1(o)p-). However, if the primary meaning of the Latin verb is "join," which appears likely (cf. cōpula "bond, fastening," from *co-ap-ula; see couple entry 1), then apīscī and coepī appear semantically too distant (unless, in an inchoative and middle derivative the sense "join oneself to" led to "seize hold of, obtain"?). If apere/aptus is unrelated to apīscī and coepī, another possible point of relation would be Hittite hāpzi "joins, attaches," going back to Indo-European *h2ep-. (This would also ease the difficulty of accounting for the vocalism a- in Latin, at least in apere if not in apīscī.)

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of apt was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near apt

apsis

apt

Aptal

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Cite this Entry

“Apt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apt. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

apt

adjective
ˈapt
1
: just right
especially : being to the point : relevant
an apt remark
2
: having a tendency : inclined, likely
apt to become angry
3
: quick to learn
an apt pupil
aptly adverb
aptness
ˈap(t)-nəs
noun
Etymology

Adjective

Middle English apt "suitable," from Latin aptus "apt, fit" — related to adapt

More from Merriam-Webster on apt

Nglish: Translation of apt for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of apt for Arabic Speakers

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