befitting 1 of 2

adjective

bi-ˈfi-tiŋ How to pronounce befitting (audio)
Definition of befittingnext
1
as in proper
following the established traditions of refined society and good taste many voters feel that the womanizing governor has not acted in a befitting manner for someone who serves as the state's chief executive

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in appropriate
meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation a befitting reply to a civil question

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

befitting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of befit
as in fitting
to be fitting or proper spoke politely of the deceased, as befitted the occasion

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of befitting
Adjective
If there was ever a notion that profanity isn’t befitting of the nation’s highest office, that standard has largely eroded. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2026 Not only is the snowfall seemingly more befitting of January or February, but the temperatures are too. — Tara Molina, CBS News, 2 Dec. 2025
Verb
Malo Knitwear specialist Malo offered a transitional wardrobe befitting the earlier days of spring in the city through to summer escapes on the Spanish island of Menorca. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 28 Sep. 2026 The doors add to the drama befitting a flagship for a startup automaker and will certainly draw attention out on Saudi roads. — Chad Kirchner, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for befitting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befitting
  1. proper
  2. appropriate
  3. fitting
  4. polite
  5. suitable
  6. suiting
  7. respectable
  8. fit
Adjective
  • Any function whose work can be pointed at a proper model of its underlying business, instead of at a general-purpose language model, is starting to compound the same way Anthropic’s engineering did a year ago.
    — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Pentecostal parents Ruth and Marius were accused of domestic violence, with worldwide protests criticizing what dissenters called harsh and hasty steps taken by Norwegian social workers without proper evidence.
    — Tomris Laffly, Time, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of proper
Adjective
  • And what is the appropriate adjudication and justice for that kind of behavior?
    — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The team of Berg and Bissinger seems appropriate here since both gave us that classic of Texas football, Friday Night Lights, and now find a new uniquely moving connection to the sport and the young men who played it.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of appropriate
Verb
  • People with chronic health conditions, pregnant women, young children and anyone 65 or older are at higher risk of developing complications from the flu, and Turner urged anyone fitting those categories to take extra precautions this season.
    — Mark Dee, Idaho Statesman, 24 Oct. 2026
  • The sofa stops being the problem and starts fitting into a room that feels deliberate.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of fitting
Adjective
  • Music of the margins — which before neoperreo was punk rock and hip-hop — had been framed in opposition to polite society.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The emergency response agents were always polite and professional, and two-way communications came through loud and clear.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of polite
Adjective
  • Last week, Niti Aayog, an Indian government think tank, shared a framework for local governments to evaluate data center projects for sustainability and to provide suitable locations, based on grid readiness and water supply availability.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Though the park’s activities are suitable for a wide variety of thrill seekers, participants must weigh between 45 and 250 pounds to safely use the park’s gear and be shorter than 6-foot-6.
    — Camila Pedrosa, Sacbee.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of suitable
Verb
  • Kate Middleton went back to royal power suiting courtesy of Victoria Beckham on Thursday for a visit to The Treehouse Children’s Hospice to learn about the care and support provided by East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices in Ipswich, England.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • At the time, her hair was a light auburn shade, suiting her role as Esther Greenwood, who is described as being brunette in Sylvia Plath’s 1963 novel.
    — Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of suiting
Adjective
  • The Chiefs have beaten a Denver Broncos team that was still finding its footing, the 2-4 Indianapolis Colts, the winless Miami Dolphins, a respectable Raiders squad and the 0-6 Chargers.
    — Andy Scholes, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
  • For 26 years, Ecuador has remained immune from the plague of a currency crisis and has sustained respectable economic growth, low inflation, and surging exports.
    — Steve H. Hanke, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of respectable
Adjective
  • Yet Trump saw fit to hand him one of the most coveted posts in American diplomacy, the seat once held by Thomas Jefferson and by Benjamin Franklin, stewarding the relationship with America’s oldest ally.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Every wearer is greeted with a fit and flair that is exceedingly flattering, crafted to further enhance beauty.
    — Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of fit

Browse Nearby Words

befitted
befitting
befog
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Cite this Entry

“Befitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befitting. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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