Meanings
comparative more opportune · superlative most opportune
- Suitable for some particular purpose.
This would be an opportune spot for a picnic.
1 more example
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.
2005, Michael Weinberger, A Message from Jakie, page 150Synonyms: appropriate
- At a convenient or advantageous time.
The opportune arrival of the bus cut short the boring conversation.
1 more example
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?
2007 February 20, Chris Chibnall, Life on Mars, Season 2, Episode 2Synonyms: seasonable
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveSuitable for some particular purpose.
adjectiveAt a convenient or advantageous time.
antonym(s) of
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivesuitable or at a time that is suitable or advantageous especially for a particular purpose
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinopportunus
- Old Frenchopportun
- Englishopportune
From Old French opportun, from Latin opportunus.
More words from Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek εὔκαιρος
- εὔκαιρος (eúkairos)at a convenient time
Bulgarian подходящ, навременен
- подходящ (podhodjašt)suitable
- навременен (navremenen)at a convenient time
Catalan oportú, oportú
- oportúsuitable
- oportúat a convenient time
Chinese Mandarin 恰當 /恰当, 適當 /适当
- 恰當 /恰当 (qiàdàng)suitable
- 適當 /适当 (shìdàng)suitable
- 合適 /合适 (héshì)suitable
- 恰逢其時的 /恰逢其时的 (qiàféngqíshí de)at a convenient time
- 及時 /及时 (jíshí)at a convenient time
Danish passende, opportun
- passendesuitable
- opportunsuitable
- belejligat a convenient time
- opportunat a convenient time
Dutch passend, geschikt
- passendsuitable
- geschiktsuitable
- gelegenat a convenient time
- gunstigat a convenient time
Esperanto konvena, oportuna
- konvenasuitable
- oportunasuitable
- ĝusttempaat a convenient time
Finnish sopiva, otollinen
- sopivasuitable
- otollinensuitable
- otollinenat a convenient time
French opportun
- opportunat a convenient time
German geeignet, passend
- geeignetsuitable
- passendsuitable
- günstigat a convenient time
- gelegenat a convenient time
Hungarian időszerű
- időszerűsuitable
Icelandic heppilegur
- heppilegursuitable
Irish ócáideach, tráthúil
- ócáideachat a convenient time
- tráthúilat a convenient time
Italian opportuno, adatto
- opportunosuitable
- adattosuitable
- appropriatosuitable
- opportunoat a convenient time
- giustoat a convenient time
- appropriatoat a convenient time
Japanese 適切
- 適切 (tekisetsu)suitable
Latin opportūnus
- opportūnusat a convenient time
Portuguese adequado, apropriado
- adequadosuitable
- apropriadosuitable
- convenientesuitable
- oportunoat a convenient time
Romanian oportun, potrivit
- oportunsuitable
- potrivitsuitable
- adecvatsuitable
Russian подходящий, своевременный
- подходящий (podxodjaščij)suitable
- своевременный (svojevremennyj)at a convenient time
Spanish oportuno
- oportunosuitable
Swedish lämplig, läglig
- lämpligsuitable
- lägligat a convenient time
Turkish uygun
- uygunsuitable
Ukrainian доре́чний, підходя́щий
- доре́чний (doréčnyj)suitable
- підходя́щий (pidxodjáščyj)suitable
- своєча́сний (svoječásnyj)at a convenient time
Cite this entry
opportune. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opportune
“opportune.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opportune. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “opportune,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/opportune.
Source: opportune on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.