opportune

English

Etymology

From Old French opportun, from Latin opportunus.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: op‧por‧tune

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

opportune (comparative more opportune, superlative most opportune)

1. Suitable for some particular purpose.

   This would be an opportune spot for a picnic.

   • 2005, Michael Weinberger, A Message from Jakie, page 150:

     I staggered to an opportune wall and continued to wail from the deepest, hurtingest, sweetest little abandoned place I could imagine. Finally, I dragged my weary body to my seat and finished my conversation with God.

2. At a convenient or advantageous time.

   The opportune arrival of the bus cut short the boring conversation.

   • 2007 February 20, Chris Chibnall, Life on Mars, Season 2, Episode 2:

     Sam Tyler: Well, our first priority is to make sure the thieves don't strike again. It'll be tricky, 'cause these sorts of gangs rarely have just one _target on the go. They've usually researched half a dozen possibilities, waiting for the most opportune circumstances on any of them.
     Harry Woolf: He knows his onions, this lad, eh?
     Gene Hunt: Oh, he's a right little smart-arse. So, what do you suggest, Buddha?

Synonyms

• (suitable): appropriate, proper; see also Thesaurus:suitable
• (convenient time): seasonable, timesome; see also Thesaurus:timely

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “suitable”): inappropriate, inopportune, improper; see also Thesaurus:unsuitable
• (antonym(s) of “convenient time”): inopportune, unseasonable, untime; see also Thesaurus:untimely

Related terms

• opportunity
• opportuneness

Translations

suitable

• Bulgarian: подходящ (bg) (podhodjašt)
• Catalan: oportú (ca)
• Danish: passende, opportun
• Dutch: passend (nl), geschikt (nl)
• Esperanto: konvena, oportuna (eo)
• German: geeignet (de), passend (de)
• Hungarian: időszerű (hu)
• Icelandic: heppilegur (is)
• Italian: opportuno (it), adatto (it), appropriato (it)
• Japanese: 適切 (ja) (てきせつ, tekisetsu)
• Portuguese: adequado (pt) m, apropriado (pt) m, conveniente (pt) m or f
• Romanian: oportun (ro) m or n, potrivit (ro) m or n, adecvat (ro) m or n
• Russian: подходящий (ru) (podxodjaščij)
• Spanish: oportuno (es), apropiado (es)
• Swedish: lämplig (sv)
• Turkish: uygun (tr)
• Ukrainian: доре́чний (doréčnyj), підходя́щий (pidxodjáščyj)
• Volapük: pötik (vo)

at a convenient time

• Bulgarian: навременен (bg) (navremenen)
• Catalan: oportú (ca)
• Danish: belejlig, opportun
• Dutch: gelegen (nl), gunstig (nl)
• Esperanto: ĝusttempa
• French: opportun (fr)
• German: günstig (de), gelegen (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: εὔκαιρος (eúkairos)

• Irish: ócáideach, tráthúil
• Italian: opportuno (it), giusto (it), appropriato (it)
• Latin: opportūnus
• Manx: traaoil
• Portuguese: oportuno (pt) m
• Russian: своевременный (ru) (svojevremennyj)
• Swedish: läglig (sv)
• Ukrainian: своєча́сний (svoječásnyj)
• Volapük: koveniälik (vo)

Danish

Adjective

opportune

1. definite of opportun
2. plural of opportun

French

Adjective

opportune

1. feminine singular of opportun

Italian

Adjective

opportune f pl

1. feminine plural of opportuno

Latin

Etymology 1

Adverb

opportūnē (comparative opportūnius, superlative opportūnissimē)

1. favourably; seasonably; opportunely

Etymology 2

Adjective

opportūne

1. vocative masculine singular of opportūnus

References

• “opportune”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “opportune”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• opportune in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.