-able

Western/əbəl/Western[əbl̩]Western[əbəl]India, North/ˈebl̩/

suffix

Able to be done; fit to be done.

“sale + -able → salable (“fit to be sold”)”

OriginMiddle English -able ← Old French -able ← Latin -ābilis →
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Meanings

suffix-able (adjective-forming suffix, comparative more -able, superlative most -able)

comparative more -able · superlative most -able · alternative idiomatic -ible

  1. Able to be done; fit to be done.

    sale + -able → salable (“fit to be sold”)

    5 more examples

    move + -able → movable (“able to be moved”)

    amend + -able → amendable (“able to be amended”)

    break + -able → breakable (“liable to break”)

    blame + -able → blamable (“fit to be blamed”)

    influence + -able → influenceable (“able to be influenced”)

  2. Relevant to or suitable to, in accordance with.

    season + -able → seasonable (“suitable to season”)

    1 more example

    fashion + -able → fashionable (“relevant to fashion”)

  3. Giving, or inclined to.

    peace + -able → peaceable (“inclined to peace”)

    1 more example

    pleasure + -able → pleasurable (“giving pleasure”)

  4. colloquialInviting or encouraging a specified behavior.

    Near-synonym: -er (etymology 1, suffix sense 2)

    2 more examples

    punch + -able → punchable (“inviting being punched”)

    kiss + -able → kissable (“evoking the desire to be kissed”)

  5. Subject to.

    tax + -able → taxable (“subject to be taxed”)

    1 more example

    report + -able → reportable (“subject to be reported”)

  6. Due to be.

    pay + -able → payable (“due to be paid”)

Origin

  1. Latin-ābilis
  2. Old French-able
  3. Middle English-able
  4. 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.

More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek -ιμος
  • -ιμος (-imos)able or fit to be done
Arabic قابل لـ
  • قابل لـ (qabil li-)able or fit to be done
Catalan -able, -ible
  • -ableable or fit to be done
  • -ibleable or fit to be done
Chinese Cantonese -得
  • -得 (-dak¹)able or fit to be done
Chinese Mandarin 可-
  • 可-able or fit to be done
Czech -elný
  • -elnýable or fit to be done
Danish -bar
  • -barable or fit to be done
Dutch -baar, -abel
  • -baarable or fit to be done
  • -abelable or fit to be done
Esperanto -ebla
  • -eblaable or fit to be done
Finnish -kelpoinen, -tava
  • -kelpoinenable or fit to be done
  • -tavaable or fit to be done
  • -täväable or fit to be done
  • -kasrelevant or suitable to, in accordance with
  • -käsrelevant or suitable to, in accordance with
  • -tavainviting or encouraging a specified behavior
  • -täväinviting or encouraging a specified behavior
  • -tavadue to be
  • -tävädue to be
French -able, -ible
  • -ableable or fit to be done
  • -ibleable or fit to be done
  • -abledue to be
German -bar, -abel
  • -barable or fit to be done
  • -abelable or fit to be done
  • -wertinviting or encouraging a specified behavior
Greek -ιμος
  • -ιμος (-imos)able or fit to be done
Hindi योग्य
  • योग्य (yogya)able or fit to be done
Hungarian -ható, -hető
  • -hatóable or fit to be done
  • -hetőable or fit to be done
Indonesian -abel
  • -abelable or fit to be done
Italian -abile, -ibile
  • -abileable or fit to be done
  • -ibileable or fit to be done
  • -evoleable or fit to be done
Japanese -られる
  • -られる (-rareru)able or fit to be done
Latin -ābilis
  • -ābilisable or fit to be done
Malay -abel
  • -abelable or fit to be done
Norwegian Bokmål -abel, -bar
  • -abelable or fit to be done
  • -barable or fit to be done
  • -abelrelevant or suitable to, in accordance with
  • -bardue to be
Persian -پذیر
  • -پذیرable or fit to be done
Polish -alny, -elny
  • -alnyable or fit to be done
  • -elnyable or fit to be done
Portuguese -ável, -ível
  • -ávelable or fit to be done
  • -ívelable or fit to be done
Romanian -bil, -bil
  • -bilable or fit to be done
  • -bilrelevant or suitable to, in accordance with
Russian -я́емый, -а́емый
  • -я́емый (-jájemyj)able or fit to be done
  • -а́емый (-ájemyj)able or fit to be done
  • -и́мый (-ímyj)able or fit to be done
Spanish -able, -ible
  • -ableable or fit to be done
  • -ibleable or fit to be done
  • que se dejaable or fit to be done
Swedish -abel, -bar
  • -abelable or fit to be done
  • -barable or fit to be done
  • -abelrelevant or suitable to, in accordance with
  • -värdinviting or encouraging a specified behavior
  • -värddue to be
Tamil -கூடிய
  • -கூடிய (-kūṭiya)able or fit to be done
Thai ได้
  • ได้ (dâai)able or fit to be done
Turkish -ebilir
  • -ebilirable or fit to be done
Ukrainian -ений, -ена
  • -ений (-enyj)able or fit to be done
  • -ена (-ena)able or fit to be done
  • -єний (-jenyj)able or fit to be done
  • -єна (-jena)able or fit to be done
  • -eне (-ene)able or fit to be done
  • -єне (-jene)able or fit to be done
Welsh -adwy
  • -adwyable or fit to be done

Rhymes & wordplay

Sounds the same

able (left pronunciation)
Cite this entry
APA

-able. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-able

MLA

“-able.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-able. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-able,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-able.

Source: -able on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.