Meanings
plural compatibilities
- countableuncountableThe state of being compatible; in which two or more things are able to exist or work together in combination without problems or conflict.
They will feature wider gangways for better wheelchair accessibility, as well as compatibility with platform screen doors - should these ever be introduced in the future.
2023 August 9, “Network News: SPT delighted with testing of new Glasgow Subway trains”, in RAIL, number 989, page 241 more example
One huge self-inflicted wound the industry is now suffering from is the lack of coupling compatibility. Up to the 1980s virtually everything had compatible drawgear on a given route, so there was every chance of pushing a failed train out of the way. Since privatisation, compatibility has been lost and in the last few years operators seem to have gone out of their way to avoid compatibility.
2019 October, Ian Walmsley, “Cleaning up”, in Modern Railways, page 43 - countableuncountablecommunicationsthe capability of two or more items or components of equipment or material to exist or function in the same system or environment without mutual interference.
- countableuncountablecomputingthe ability to execute a given program on different types of computers without modification of the program or the computers. See backward compatibility and forward compatibility.
- countableuncountablecomputingthe capability that allows the substitution of one subsystem (storage facility), or of one functional unit (e.g., hardware, software), for the originally designated system or functional unit in a relatively transparent manner, without loss of information and without the introduction of errors.
- countableuncountablestructural analysisthe continuity or good fit of material or members or components while being deformed.
Synonyms & antonyms
nouncapability of existing or performing in harmonious or congenial combination
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- New Latincompatibilitās
- Englishcompatibility
Borrowed from New Latin compatibilitās. By surface analysis, compatible + -ity.
More words from New Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian съвмести́мост
- съвмести́мост (săvmestímost)capability to exist without mutual interference
Catalan compatibilitat
- compatibilitatcapability to exist without mutual interference
Chinese Mandarin 兼容性
- 兼容性 (jiānróngxìng)capability to exist without mutual interference
Czech slučitelnost, kompatibilita
- slučitelnostcapability to exist without mutual interference
- kompatibilitacapability to exist without mutual interference
Dutch compatibiliteit, overeenstemming
- compatibiliteitcapability to exist without mutual interference
- overeenstemmingcapability to exist without mutual interference
Esperanto kongrueco, interkonformo
- kongruecocapability to exist without mutual interference
- interkonformocapability to exist without mutual interference
Finnish yhteensopivuus, yhteensopivuus
- yhteensopivuusstate of being compatible
- yhteensopivuusability to execute programmes on different computers without any modification.
- yhteensopivuuscapability to exist without mutual interference
French compatibilité
- compatibilitécapability to exist without mutual interference
German Vereinbarkeit, Kompatibilität
- Vereinbarkeitcapability to exist without mutual interference
- Kompatibilitätcapability to exist without mutual interference
Hebrew תאימות
- תאימותcapability to exist without mutual interference
Hindi अनुकूलता
- अनुकूलता (anukūltā)capability to exist without mutual interference
Hungarian kompatibilitás
- kompatibilitáscapability to exist without mutual interference
Icelandic samhæfni
- samhæfnistate of being compatible
Indonesian kompatibilitas
- kompatibilitascapability to exist without mutual interference
Italian compatibilità
- compatibilitàcapability to exist without mutual interference
Japanese 親和性, 互換性
- 親和性 (shinwasei)capability to exist without mutual interference
- 互換性 (gokansei)capability to exist without mutual interference
Korean 호환성
- 호환성 (hohwanseong)capability to exist without mutual interference
Māori hototahitanga
- hototahitangaability to execute programmes on different computers without any modification.
Polish kompatybilność
- kompatybilnośćcapability to exist without mutual interference
Portuguese compatibilidade
- compatibilidadecapability to exist without mutual interference
Romanian compatibilitate
- compatibilitatecapability to exist without mutual interference
Russian совмести́мость
- совмести́мость (sovmestímostʹ)capability to exist without mutual interference
Spanish compatibilidad
- compatibilidadcapability to exist without mutual interference
Swedish kompatibilitet
- kompatibilitetstate of being compatible
Tagalog pagkakatugma-tugma
- pagkakatugma-tugmacapability to exist without mutual interference
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with compatibility
Cite this entry
compatibility. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/compatibility
“compatibility.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/compatibility. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “compatibility,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/compatibility.
Source: compatibility on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.