apt
apt Lexical Profile
apt Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Appropriate or suitable in the circumstances; fitting and well-chosen.
"Given her decades of experience in maritime law, she was an apt choice to lead the arbitration panel."
Having a natural tendency or inclination to do something; likely.
"Young seedlings are apt to wither quickly if they are exposed to direct midday sun without adequate moisture."
Quick to learn and understand; demonstrating keen intelligence or readiness.
"The conservatory professor noted that her new violin student was an unusually apt pupil who mastered complex bowing techniques within weeks."
Word Nuance & Usage
When meaning 'having a tendency to do something', 'apt' is used almost exclusively in the predicate position followed by an infinitive (e.g., 'she is apt to forget'), whereas in its sense of 'appropriate or fitting', it can appear either before a noun or after a linking verb.
• Rhymes for apt
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 14th century from Latin 'aptus' ('fit, suited, joined'), originally the past participle of the archaic verb 'apere' ('to attach, fasten, or join').