opportune

English

Etymology

From Old French opportun, from Latin opportunus.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɒ.pəˈt͡ʃ(j)uːn/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɑ.pɚˈt͡ʃuːn/, /-tjuːn/
• Hyphenation: op‧por‧tune

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

Derived terms

• opportuneless
• opportunism
• opportunist
• unopportune

Related terms

• opportunity
• opportuneness

Translations

suitable — see also appropriate

• Bulgarian: подходящ (bg) (podhodjašt)
• Catalan: oportú (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 恰當 / 恰当 (zh) (qiàdàng), 適當 / 适当 (zh) (shìdàng), 合適 / 合适 (zh) (héshì)

• 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)
• 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)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 恰逢其時的 / 恰逢其时的 (qiàféngqíshí de), 及時 / 及时 (zh) (jíshí)

• Danish: belejlig, opportun
• Dutch: gelegen (nl), gunstig (nl)
• Esperanto: ĝusttempa
• French: opportun (fr)
• German: günstig (de), gelegen (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient Greek: 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.