Apposite means fitting or well suited to the point being made, while opposite means contrary, facing the other direction, or completely different. They look similar on the page because of the shared "-posite" ending, but they are not opposites of each other and are not related in meaning. If a quotation fits the moment perfectly, it is apposite; if two things face each other or contradict each other, they are opposite.
The core difference
Apposite means well suited or fitting, while opposite means contrary or facing the other way.
- apposite — very suitable to the particular situation; strikingly to the point: She closed the eulogy with an apposite line from Auden.
- opposite — completely different or facing the other direction: The two brothers have opposite personalities.
- opposite — also used of position: The bakery is opposite the train station.
How to tell them apart
The confusion is purely visual: apposite and opposite differ by only one letter, but their roots pull in different directions. Apposite comes from Latin apponere, "to place near" or "to add," which is why it describes something that sits well alongside the moment, like a well-chosen quotation or comment. Opposite comes from Latin opponere, "to set against," the same root behind oppose, which is why it describes things that face each other or contradict each other.
A memory trick: apposite starts like "apt," and both words describe something that fits. Opposite starts like "oppose," and both describe things set against each other. If you can swap in the word "apt" or "fitting" without changing the meaning, apposite is correct; if you can swap in "contrary" or "facing," opposite is correct.
