inapt

Inapt is an English adjective meaning not suitable or appropriate for a particular purpose or context, or lacking in aptness or fitness for a task. It is commonly used in formal or literary English and is less frequent in casual speech.

The word is formed from the prefix in- meaning "not" plus apt, which comes from Latin aptus meaning "fitted" or "suited." Its usage dates back to Middle English, and it has retained a relatively formal or specialized tone in modern English.

Inapt typically describes a thing or action rather than a person’s general ability, though it can apply to a person when referring to suitability for a role or task. Examples include an inapt remark, an inapt comparison, or an inapt choice of policy for a given situation. It conveys a sense of mismatch or unsuitability and is often neutral or mildly negative in tone. It is distinct from inaptitude as a noun, which denotes a lack of natural ability, and from inept, which emphasizes clumsy or lacking skill.

Related terms include ill-suited, unsuitable, unfit, and inappropriate. While all these convey a lack of fit in some sense, inapt specifically emphasizes lack of suitability or appropriateness to a context, rather than concerns about social norms (which is more the domain of inappropriateness) or skill (which is more closely linked to ineptitude).

See also: apt, inaptitude, inept, inappropriate, ill-suited, unsuitable, unfit.