apposite

Apposite is an adjective meaning highly appropriate or suitable for a particular situation. Something described as apposite directly relates to the matter at hand and fits the context well, such as an apposite remark or an apposite example.

Origin and sense: The word comes from Latin appositus "placed near," from apponere "to place near." It entered English via Old French and Middle French, acquiring the specialized sense of fittingness or relevancy.

Usage: Apposite is common in formal writing—academic, legal, literary criticism—where a statement or example is singled out as especially pertinent. It is more formal and slightly literary than synonyms like relevant, pertinent, or germane. Typical collocations include apposite remark, apposite quotation, apposite comparison.

Note: Apposite should not be confused with appositive, a grammatical term for a noun phrase that restates or identifies another noun beside it. The related noun appositive and the process apposition share a root meaning but different usage.

See also: appositive, apposition, apropos, germane, pertinent.