Dictionary

-able en · X

Pronunciation

• [eːbɐl] (India, North)
• /əbəl/ (Western)
• [əbəl] (Western)
• [əbl̩] (Western)
• (Southern-England) audio
• [ɐbɨɭ] (India, South, unstressed)
• /ˈebl̩/ (India, North)
• /əbl̩/ (India, South)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able Inherited from Middle English -able, borrowed from Old French -able, from Latin -ābilis, from -a- or -i- + -bilis (“capable or worthy of being acted upon”), from Proto-Indo-European i-stem form *-dʰli- of *-dʰlom (“instrumental suffix”). Not closely related etymologically, though currently related semantically, to able. Displaced native Old English -endlīc (equivalent to Modern English -andly, -andlike), and Modern English -worthy.

Meanings

1. (morpheme) Able to be done; fit to be done.
   • amend + -able → amendable (“able to be amended”)
   • break + -able → breakable (“liable to break”)
   • sale + -able → salable (“fit to be sold”)
   • move + -able → movable (“able to be moved”)
   • influence + -able → influenceable (“able to be influenced”)
   • transfer + -able → transferable (“able to be transferred”)
   • blame + -able → blamable (“fit to be blamed”)
2. (morpheme) Relevant to or suitable to, in accordance with.
   • fashion + -able → fashionable (“relevant to fashion”)
   • season + -able → seasonable (“suitable to season”)
3. (morpheme) Giving, or inclined to.
   • peace + -able → peaceable (“inclined to peace”)
   • pleasure + -able → pleasurable (“giving pleasure”)
4. (colloquial, morpheme) Inviting or encouraging a specified behavior.
   • Near-synonym: -er (etymology 1, suffix sense 2)
   • punch + -able → punchable (“inviting being punched”)
   • kiss + -able → kissable (“evoking the desire to be kissed”)
5. (morpheme) Subject to.
   • report + -able → reportable (“subject to be reported”)
   • tax + -able → taxable (“subject to be taxed”)
6. (morpheme) Due to be.
   • pay + -able → payable (“due to be paid”)

Forms

Relateds

-worthy · -ability · ability · able

Translations (77)

fa -پذیر (able or fit to be done) · es -ible (able or fit to be done) · nds-de -bor (able or fit to be done) · arz قابل لـ (able or fit to be done) · ca -ible (able or fit to be done) · pl -alny (able or fit to be done) · ru -а́емый (able or fit to be done) · ro -bil (able or fit to be done) · tr -ebilir (able or fit to be done) · fi -tävä (inviting or encouraging a specified behavior) · ja -られる (able or fit to be done) · enm -able (able or fit to be done) · ta -கூடிய (able or fit to be done) · nl -baar (able or fit to be done) · ast -able (able or fit to be done) · sv -värd (due to be) · fi -tava (due to be) · th ได้ (able or fit to be done) · ca -able (able or fit to be done) · ia -ibile (able or fit to be done) · fr -ible (able or fit to be done) · yue -得 (able or fit to be done) · pt -ível (able or fit to be done) · it -ibile (able or fit to be done) · cy -adwy (able or fit to be done) · pt -ável (able or fit to be done) · fi -tava (inviting or encouraging a specified behavior) · es que se deja (able or fit to be done) · da -bar (able or fit to be done) · gl -able (able or fit to be done) · gv yn- (able or fit to be done) · eo -ebla (able or fit to be done) · ru -и́мый (able or fit to be done) · fi -tävä (able or fit to be done) · ro -bil (relevant or suitable to, in accordance with) · ms -abel (able or fit to be done) · sv -värd (inviting or encouraging a specified behavior) · fi -käs (relevant or suitable to, in accordance with) · hy -ի (able or fit to be done) · hi योग्य (able or fit to be done) · it -evole (able or fit to be done) · nb -abel (relevant or suitable to, in accordance with) · ar قابل لـ (able or fit to be done) · kw -adow (able or fit to be done) · id -abel (able or fit to be done) · fr -able (able or fit to be done) · ia -abile (able or fit to be done) · it -abile (able or fit to be done) · gl -ábel (able or fit to be done) · nb -bar (due to be) · fi -tava (able or fit to be done) · de -abel (able or fit to be done) · fi -kas (relevant or suitable to, in accordance with) · nb -bar (able or fit to be done) · fi -tävä (due to be) · sv -abel (relevant or suitable to, in accordance with) · fi -kelpoinen (able or fit to be done) · la -ābilis (able or fit to be done) · ka -ადი (able or fit to be done) · sv -abel (able or fit to be done) · nb -abel (able or fit to be done) · hu -ható (able or fit to be done) · cmn 可- (able or fit to be done) · es -able (able or fit to be done) · ru -я́емый (able or fit to be done) · sv -bar (able or fit to be done) · cs -elný (able or fit to be done) · pl -elny (able or fit to be done) · io -ebla (able or fit to be done) · nl -abel (able or fit to be done) · sl -ljiv (able or fit to be done) · hu -hető (able or fit to be done) · ml -ആവുന്ന (able or fit to be done) · fr -able (due to be) · osx -bar (able or fit to be done) · de -bar (able or fit to be done) · de -wert (inviting or encouraging a specified behavior)