- capable of, suitable for, or deserving of (being acted upon as indicated): enjoyable, pitiable, readable, separable, washable
- inclined to; given to; able to; causing: comfortable, reasonable, variable
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
-able suffix forming adjectives
a•ble /ˈeɪbəl/USA pronunciation
adj. (for def. 2) a•bler, a•blest.
-able, suffix.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- having the necessary power, skill, knowledge, or resources to do something:[be + ~ + to + verb]able to read music after just a few lessons.
- having or showing unusual talent, intelligence, skill, or knowledge:an able leader.
- able is an adjective that usually comes after some form of be, ably is an adverb, ability is a noun:John is able to run fast. He did the work ably and efficiently. John has the ability to run fast.See -habil-.
-able, suffix.
- -able is used to form adjectives from verbs, with the meaning "capable of, fit for, tending to'': teach + -able → teachable (= capable of being taught);
photograph + -able → photographable = (fit for photographing).
a•ble
(ā′bəl),USA pronunciation adj., a•bler, a•blest, n.
adj.
n.
-able,
adj.
- having necessary power, skill, resources, or qualifications;
qualified:able to lift a two-hundred-pound weight; able to travel widely;able to vote. - having unusual or superior intelligence, skill, etc.:an able leader.
- showing talent, skill, or knowledge:an able speech.
- Lawlegally empowered, qualified, or authorized.
n.
- Telecommunications(usually cap.) a code word formerly used in communications to represent the letter A.
- Latin habilis handy, equivalent. to hab(ēre) to have, hold + -ilis -ile
- Middle French
- Middle English 1275–1325
- 1. fit, fitted. Able, capable, competent all mean possessing adequate power for doing something. Able implies power equal to effort required:able to finish in time.Capable implies power to meet or fulfill ordinary requirements:a capable worker.Competent suggests power to meet demands in a completely satisfactory manner:a competent nurse. 2. talented; skilled, clever, ingenious. 3. apt.
- 1. incompetent.
-able,
- a suffix meaning "capable of, susceptible of, fit for, tending to, given to,'' associated in meaning with the word able, occurring in loanwords from Latin (laudable);
used in English as a highly productive suffix to form adjectives by addition to stems of any origin (teachable;
photographable).
- Latin -ābilis, equivalent. to -ā- final vowel of 1st conjugation verb, verbal stems + -bilis
- Old French
- Middle English
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'-able' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
AB
- ability
- able
- able-bodied
- able-bodied seaman
- able rating
- absorbent
- accommodation address
- accountable
- adequate
- adhesive
- admissible
- afford
- aliterate
- alterative
- ambulatory
- amoeba
- amphibian
- amphibious
- amphisbaena
- amphoteric
- answerable
- applicable
- articulate
- ataractic
- augmentative
- automatic
- autonomous
- bactericide
- believe
- bilingual
- blackfish
- blind
- Blu-ray
- bounce
- buoyant
- Canute
- capable
- carminative
- carnivorous
- carry
- chain
- changeable
- clear
- click through
- close
- combinative
- commensurate
- communicative
- abate
