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suitable or fitting for a particular purpose, person, occasion, etc.:
an appropriate example; an appropriate dress.
belonging to or peculiar to a person; proper:
each played his appropriate part.
to set apart, authorize, or legislate for some specific purpose or use:
the legislature appropriated funds for the university.
to take to or for oneself; take possession of.
to take without permission or consent; seize; expropriate:
he appropriated the trust funds for himself.
to steal, especially to commit petty theft.
contemporary examples

it just raised the ceiling on the amounts that may be appropriated.
obamacare, impeachment, iran, and more political predictions for 2014 michael tomasky december 29, 2013

his early artistic explorations had emulated and appropriated the entire cast of european modernism.
man ray revealed philip gefter november 11, 2009

later, the dukes of burgundy appropriated the land and vines were revived by medieval monks.
the drink all you want holiday wine jordan salcito december 20, 2013

congress appropriated funds, and whatever those appropriations totaled over the course of the year was that year’s budget.
dead on arrival (updated) david frum february 14, 2012

so over the years, the saga of james gatz has been appropriated by the victors into a celebration of the very excess it abhorred.
the great gatsby, starring leonardo dicaprio, is a relentless -ssault on the senses marlow stern may 7, 2013

historical examples

it differs from priapismus chronicus in the desire of its appropriated object, which is not experienced in the latter, cl-ss i. 1.
zoonomia, vol. ii erasmus darwin

as we must imitate her, and hadn’t any of our own, we appropriated hers.
the universal reciter various

it was clear that the articles had been appropriated or given away to friends.
wintering in the riviera william miller

the manxman may have appropriated them, but if he did so he was in a deadly earnest mood.
the little manx nation – 1891 hall caine

what is the amount of money annually appropriated for improving the rivers and harbors of the country?
government in the united states james wilford garner

adjective (əˈprəʊprɪɪt)
right or suitable; fitting
(rare) particular; own: they had their appropriate methods
verb (transitive) (əˈprəʊprɪˌeɪt)
to take for one’s own use, esp illegally or without permission
to put aside (funds, etc) for a particular purpose or person
v.

early 15c., “take possession of,” from late latin appropriatus, past participle of appropriare, adpropriare (c.450) “to make one’s own,” from latin ad- “to” (see ad-) + propriare “take as one’s own,” from proprius “one’s own” (see proper). related: appropriated; appropriating.
adj.

“specially suitable, proper,” early 15c., from latin appropriatus, past participle of appropriare (see appropriate (v.)). related: appropriately; appropriateness.

verb

liberate (wwi army)