opportune
adjective
T. E. Vedney
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Opportune comes from Latin opportūnus, which can mean "favoring one's needs," "serviceable," or "convenient." The word is a combination of the prefix ob-, meaning "to," and portus, a word for a port or harbor. It alludes to choosing any port in a storm for safety.
Examples of opportune in a Sentence
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 12 May 2024
The equity capital market team is instrumental in detecting the most opportune moments for assets sales, at times through block trades on secondary markets, the people said.
—Min Jeong Lee, Fortune Asia, 10 May 2024
Wong’s parents had fled poverty — at one point, his father used tennis balls as flotation devices to illicitly cross waters from Guangzhou into Hong Kong — in order to raise a family in a more opportune land.
—Amy X. Wang, New York Times, 7 May 2024
While coverage of the Derby will probably focus on memorable races and moments from the past, this auspicious anniversary is also an opportune time to scrutinize the racist history of the sport and that of the Churchill family after whom Churchill Downs is named.
—TIME, 4 May 2024
Blemishes have a frustrating way of showing up at the least opportune moments.
—Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 15 Apr. 2024
Those boots then pulsed with a variety of lights at opportune times during the concert, to provide a dizzying light display throughout the crowd.
—Jim Harrington, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2024
On the other hand, at the moment these men are driving down to San Diego, paying for … the murder weapons, coming back and waiting for an opportune time to go in and kill their parents, the molestation is not occurring right then.
—Natalie Morales, CBS News, 2 Mar. 2024
For investors seeking stability paired with promising returns, consider whether this could be the opportune moment to embark on this journey.
—Danny Kattan, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'opportune.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Opportune.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/opportune. Accessed 19 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
opportune
adjective
Middle English opportune "opportune, suitable, fit," from early French opportun (same meaning), from Latin opportunus "fit, suitable, convenient," from ob- "toward" and portus "harbor"
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