Hi James,

> You’ve answered questions for me in the past. I have another one for you.
> Is unappropriate an accepted English term? I heard someone use it,
> thought
> it strange, but when i looked it up on dictionary.com it was listed as a
> word, meaning inappropriate. WordPerfect did not recognize it, and it is
> not in Webster’s unabridged dictionary. My guess is that the person meant
> to say inappropriate and just got lucky because it is listed on
> dictionary.com. Looking for clarification. Personally, it was the first
> time I had ever heard anyone use the term, so I assumed it was incorrect.
>
> Thanks!
> Bob
>
Inappropriate is the standard English term (it actually has Latin roots).

English does have a number of prefixes and suffixes which are nearly synonymous, so people, especially in everyday speech, will construct nonstandard words like “unappropriate.” Since we all know that un- means “not,” we know what the person is saying. I suppose you could also say “nonappropriate.” However, usually there is a standard form based on historical use and understanding. That word is inappropriate in this case.

Some dictionaries might include words like “unappropriate” or “nonappropriate” because someone somewhere used the word in a serious manner. Such dictionaries are called descriptive dictionaries; they merely describe the word used without making any observation about its propriety or standard use.

Some people would see such invented constructions as a sign of lack of education or lack of understanding. In the example you gave, use inappropriate even though we may understand the other words. Using the others may give some people the impression that you are not well-educated, well-read, or well-spoken as you could be.

For more on descriptive vs. prescriptive dictionaries, see our article on Two Kinds of Dictionaries.