adjective
Other Word Forms
-
reusabilitynoun
-
reusablenessnoun
-
reuseabilitynoun
-
reuseablenessnoun
-
unusablenessnoun
-
unuseablenessnoun
-
usabilitynoun
-
usablenessnoun
-
useabilitynoun
-
useablenessnoun
-
nonreusableadjective
-
nonreuseableadjective
-
nonusableadjective
-
nonuseableadjective
-
reusableadjective
-
reuseableadjective
-
unusableadjective
-
unuseableadjective
-
unusablyadverb
-
unuseablyadverb
-
usablyadverb
-
useablyadverb
Etymology
Origin of usable
Explanation
Something that's usable can be successfully used right away for its intended purpose. If your car is usable, it's running just fine. A usable tent has all of its poles and is more or less waterproof, and a usable pair of shoes fits well and doesn't have holes. Describing something as usable can sometimes be faint praise: "Well, this basketball is usable, but just barely." When information is described as usable, it usually means it's actively available, and not just stored in a computer, for example. This is a relatively new adjective, first appearing around 1840.
Vocabulary lists containing usable
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The gated, private parcel offers dramatic panoramic city views and sweeping vistas, with multiple usable tiers featuring generous flat pads, terraced gardens, and a dedicated pool level,” the description noted.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
Boyle Heights resident Margarita Amador, the neighborhood council’s secretary, said she wants the park to be “protected, safe and usable for the community.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
Because multi-dose vials must be discarded 30 minutes after opening, each vial yields only about 1.2 to 1.6 usable doses in practice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
Although gut microbes can generate additional usable energy, the amount absorbed directly from food in the upper digestive tract also matters.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
“If you go on up the canyon,” Oppenheimer suggested, pointing east, “you come out on top of the mesa, and there’s a boys’ school there which might be a usable site.”
From "Bomb" by Steve Sheinkin
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
