Fitting describes something that matches a situation perfectly or feels exactly right for the moment. When you wear your best outfit to a wedding, that's a fitting choice because formal clothes suit a formal occasion. When a champion athlete retires and thousands of fans gather to celebrate her career, that's a fitting tribute to years of excellence and dedication.

The word captures that sense of appropriateness: something is fitting when it makes sense, feels natural, or seems like it belongs. A quiet moment of silence is a fitting way to remember someone who has died. A standing ovation is a fitting response to an incredible performance. Sometimes people say “how fitting” when they notice a coincidence that seems almost too perfect, like when it starts raining right after your class finishes reading a book about a storm.

Fitting can also mean the process of adjusting something to the right size or shape. A tailor does a fitting when measuring you for new clothes and making adjustments so the jacket fits your shoulders perfectly. You might need several fittings before the costume for the school play is just right.

The word works as both an adjective (“That's a fitting end to the story”) and a noun (“I have a fitting at the tailor's shop”).