defeasible

D2E1F4E1A1S1I1B3L1E1
UK[dɪˈfiːzɪbəɫ]

adjective

Capable of being defeated, terminated, annulled, voided or invalidated.

“The accounting charge for the non-callable debt is defeasible by an escrow.”

Opposite
UncommonScrabble 16

Meanings

adjectivedefeasible (comparative more defeasible, superlative most defeasible)

comparative more defeasible · superlative most defeasible

  1. human sciencesCapable of being defeated, terminated, annulled, voided or invalidated.

    The accounting charge for the non-callable debt is defeasible by an escrow.

    2 more examples

    Languages are acquired mainly through the exercise of defeasible inductive methods, based on experience of linguistic communication.

    2011 September 21, Barbara C. Scholz, Francis Jeffry Pelletier, Geoffrey K. Pullum, Ryan Nefdt, “Philosophy of Linguistics”, in Edward N. Zalta, Uri Nodelman, editors, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford University, →ISSN, retrieved 18 Jun 2025

    If you are unhappy with an article generated by Abstract Wikipedia, you will be able to: change the “abstract” content in Wikidata; change the algorithms that construct or render the article in Wikifunctions; or sever the connection between the article and Abstract Wikipedia, and edit the article the old-fashioned way in Wikipedia. The role of Wikilambda in all this is to make algorithms “defeasible”. Every part of every algorithm is there, and can be contested on the platform itself, even if that contestation may be culturally and politically constrained.

    2026, Michael Falk, “Wikilambda the ultimate: the Wikimedia foundation’s search for the perfect language”, in AI & Society: Knowledge, Culture and Communication, →DOI

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivecapable of being annulled or voided or terminated

Opposite

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latindis-
  2. Old Frenchdesfaisance
  3. Anglo-Normandefesaunce
  4. Englishdefeasible

Back-formation from defeasance + -ible, from Anglo-Norman defesaunce, Old French desfaisance, a deverbal noun from desfaire (“to undo”) (Modern French défaire), from des- (“un-, apart”) + fere, faire (“to do”) + -able, reflecting Latin dis- + facere + -ābilis. Near-doublet of defeatable.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Dutch breekbaar, annulleerbaar
  • breekbaarcapable of being defeated, invalidated, …
  • annulleerbaarcapable of being defeated, invalidated, …
  • overwinnelijkcapable of being defeated, invalidated, …
German annullierbar
  • annullierbarcapable of being defeated, invalidated, …
Hungarian érvényteleníthető
  • érvényteleníthetőcapable of being defeated, invalidated, …
Romanian revocabil, anulabil
  • revocabilcapable of being defeated, invalidated, …
  • anulabilcapable of being defeated, invalidated, …
  • nedefinitivcapable of being defeated, invalidated, …
Spanish anulable
  • anulablecapable of being defeated, invalidated, …
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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