apt

¹ American  

[apt] / æpt /

adjective

1. inclined; disposed; given; prone.

   too apt to slander others.

   Synonyms:

   liable

2. likely.

   Am I apt to find him at home?

3. unusually intelligent; able to learn quickly and easily.

   an apt pupil.

   Synonyms:

   skillful , dexterous , adroit , handy , adaptable , bright , clever

4. suited to the purpose or occasion; appropriate.

   an apt metaphor; a few apt remarks on world peace.

   Synonyms:

   felicitous , germane , meet , fitting

5. Archaic.  prepared; ready; willing.

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apt. ² American  

abbreviation

PLURAL

apts

1. apartment.

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apt ¹ British  

/ æpt /

adjective

1. suitable for the circumstance or purpose; appropriate

2. (postpositive; foll by an infinitive) having a tendency (to behave as specified)

3. having the ability to learn and understand easily; clever (esp in the phrase an apt pupil )

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apt. ² British  

abbreviation

1. apartment

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Usage

Some usage guides insist that apt followed by an infinitive can or should be used to mean only “inclined, disposed”: He is apt to ignore matters he regards as unimportant. In fact, apt is standard in all varieties of speech and writing as a synonym for likely in contexts that suggest probability without any implication of a natural disposition toward: Hostilities are apt to break out if the confrontation is not soon resolved. She is apt to arrive almost any time now. See also liable, likely.

Related Words

Apt, pertinent, relevant all refer to something suitable or fitting. Apt means to the point and particularly appropriate: an apt comment. Pertinent means pertaining to the matter in hand: a pertinent remark. Relevant means directly related to and important to the subject: a relevant opinion.

Other Word Forms

• aptly adverb
• aptness noun
• overapt adjective
• overaptness noun

Etymology

Origin of apt¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin aptus “fastened, fitted, fitting, appropriate,” equivalent to ap(ere) “fasten, attach” + -tus past participle suffix

Origin of apt.²

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Scorsese’s timing seems apt, both culturally and commercially.

From The Wall Street Journal

Both titles seemed apt on the day I arrived, and, as fog wafted over a nearby summit, I visited Art Street, a park with theaters, music festivals, restaurants and cafes.

From Los Angeles Times

If ever the Shakespearean warning about those who “doth protest too much” seemed apt, Skandalakis’ overly long preface to his motion surely qualifies.

From Salon

Buchan realized that “an old regime was passing away,” and that the “vanishing” of one world and the arrival of another was “apt to crush those who had to meet it.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Timeless but timely, pure and apt for this fraught and divisive time in history.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• appropriate
• apropos
• correct
• felicitous
• fitting
• happy
• relevant
• suitable