How Apposite Works

Let's look at the pronunciation of the word first; apposite is pronounced as ap-uh-zit or uh-poz-it. As per the definition we have provided, apposite means something appropriate, fitting, or correct for an occasion.

The usage of this word works best with situations concerned with moral and metaphorical implications. (This will become clearer in our examples section below.) However, apposite can also be used to denote appropriateness of material or tangible presence. This could include attire, say, during a funeral.

It is easy to confuse this word with 'opposite,' so you should be careful which word is being used while reading. Incorrect usage can change the whole meaning of a sentence; In fact, the meaning of the two words is almost antonymous to each other. However, it is not surprising that the words 'apposite' and 'opposite' sound so similar. The next section will explain why.

Examples of Apposite

As we learned, apposite means something appropriate or fitting for a situation. It is not a widely used adjective, but it is commonly found in formal writing or descriptions like reviews, academic papers, reports, etc. Here are a few examples of the word in action:

  • In that regard, Mr. Obama seems an apposite speaker at Mandela's centenary.
  • A graveyard is an apposite image in a film that has a decaying society as a theme.
  • The student illustrated this fact with apposite references and links.
  • The essay was declined because it failed to mention the most apposite facts about conduction.
  • This is an apposite point.
  • In the fight between technology and nature, an iceberg is an apposite metaphor for Titanic.
  • This method is the most apposite in determining the presence of alien elements.
  • One of the book's greatest strength is its stories that are apposite to the themes.
  • Out of the three alternatives presented, the last was selected as it seemed the most apposite.

Hopefully, these examples were helpful in explaining the definition of apposite. It is also apposite to note the synonyms of the word to have a fuller understanding. These are germane, relevant, suitable, applicable, sensible, tasteful, and pertinent. The antonyms of apposite are opposite. irrelevant, inappropriate, trivial, insignificant, and minor.

History of Apposite

The reason why apposite and opposite sound so alike is because they share the same ancestral parent in the Latin word ponere, which literally means to put, or to place. Later, adding the prefix ad expanded the word to adponere (d is silent), which means to place near or when applied to. When adopted in English, this word became 'apposite.' Reportedly, the first instance of the usage of 'apposite' was in the year 1621, though, some maintain that it could be anything from 1615-1625.

At the same time, something else was also happening to ponere. An ap was added to it, making it apponere. This means placing against. As you might have guessed, this became the word 'opposite.' Additionally, the word ponere also branched out into componere, which became the English word 'compound.'