Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Suited or right for a particular purpose.
  • adjective Occurring at a fitting or advantageous time.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Seasonable; timely; well-timed; convenient.
  • Conveniently exposed; liable; open.
  • To suit; accommodate.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Convenient; ready; hence, seasonable; timely.
  • transitive verb obsolete To suit.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Suitable for some particular purpose.
  • adjective At a convenient or advantageous time.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective suitable or at a time that is suitable or advantageous especially for a particular purpose

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French opportun, from Latin opportūnus, from ob portum (veniēns), (coming) toward port : ob, to; see ob– + portum, accusative of portus, harbor; see per- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Latin opportunus, from the phrase: ob portum veniens ("coming towards a port").

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