felicitous

IPA/fəˈlɪsɪtəs/
KK[fɪlˈɪsətəs]IPA/fəˈlɪsɪtəs/

felicitous — adjective

  • felicitouspositive
  • more felicitouscomparative
  • most felicitoussuperlative

1. (of a word, phrase, or choice) so neatly fitted to the moment that it captures t

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

(of a word, phrase, or choice) so neatly fitted to the moment that it captures the speaker's meaning or mood almost perfectly — for example, a wedding toast whose joke lands exactly right.

Example

Hana's choice of the word 'serene' was felicitous in describing the lake at dawn.

subject + be + felicitous + in + -ing clause

The minister opened the funeral with a felicitous line from an old Welsh poem.

felicitous + noun (line / phrase / remark)

Common collocations
  • felicitous phrase
  • felicitous turn of phrase
  • felicitous choice of words
  • felicitous remark
  • felicitous combination
Synonyms
  • apt

    more everyday; widely used in plain prose

  • well-chosen

    neutral register; common in book reviews and editorials

  • fitting

    broader scope; can describe actions and gestures, not only words

  • happy

    in the older sense 'happy choice of words'; literary, slightly dated

Antonyms
  • infelicitous

    direct opposite; same formal register

  • inept

    stronger; suggests clumsiness rather than mere mismatch

  • awkward

    everyday register; covers social as well as verbal mismatch

Grammar Patterns

felicitous + noun

be felicitous

Usage Note

Subject is usually a word, phrase, remark, choice, or decision — not a person directly. The judgment is about how well something fits its purpose or context, not about the speaker's luck or mood.

Common Mistakes

I felt felicitous at the party.
I felt happy at the party.
'felicitous' does not describe a person's mood; use 'happy', 'cheerful', or 'pleased' for feelings.
a felicitous coincidence brought us together' (when meaning lucky)
a fortunate coincidence brought us together
modern English uses 'felicitous' for well-chosen words or decisions, not for lucky events.

Word family

  • felicity
    nounC2
  • felicitously
    adverbC2
  • infelicitous
    adjectiveC2
  • infelicity
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words praise something for matching its context, but they sit at different registers and cover slightly different ground. 'Apt' is the everyday choice — 'an apt reply' works in journalism, conversation, or essays. 'Fitting' is broader: it can describe a gesture, a tribute, or a punishment, not just words. 'Well-chosen' stays close to language ('well-chosen words at a memorial') and is neutral in tone. 'Felicitous' is the most formal and the most specific: it praises a verbal or design choice for being precisely right, often with a hint of admiration for the speaker's skill. The older literary phrase 'a happy turn of phrase' overlaps with felicitous but sounds slightly dated today. Compare: 'an apt comment' (sensible), 'a fitting tribute' (appropriate to the occasion), 'a felicitous metaphor' (admirably well-judged).

apt ↗fitting ↗well-chosenhappy ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • particularly felicitous
  • remarkably felicitous
  • less than felicitous

Phrases

  • a felicitous choice of words
  • a felicitous turn of phrase

Prepositions

  • felicitous in (doing something)

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from Latin 'felix' (meaning 'lucky' or 'happy'), through the noun 'felicitas' (good fortune). English borrowed 'felicity' in the 14th century for happiness or apt expression, and 'felicitous' followed in the late 1700s as the adjective form. The 'good fortune' sense has faded in modern usage; today the word almost always praises a well-chosen word, phrase, or decision rather than describing luck.