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billable

American  
[bil-uh-buhl] / ˈbɪl ə bəl /

adjective

  1. that may or should be billed.

    Attorneys put in hundreds of billable hours on the case.


noun

  1. an active customer account.

billable British  
/ ˈbɪləbəl /

adjective

  1. referring to time worked, esp by a lawyer, on behalf of a particular client and for which that client will be expected to pay

    a timesheet of my billable hours

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of billable

First recorded in 1570–80; bill 1 + -able


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.

See Examples For:

“Better documentation can capture patient complexity that was previously missed. The same tools can also make it easier to identify billable conditions, whether or not those conditions change care,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 8, 2026

Ford alleges the firm intentionally slowed down its clients’ cases to drive up their billable hours, instructing drivers not to communicate with Ford and pushing them toward filing a lawsuit.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

Goodwin terminated him in August 2023 after he hadn’t worked on a billable matter for months.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 12, 2026

Former employees said such services were typically the ones that were billable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 11, 2026

Investors need to hear that incremental capacity is converting into billable services quickly, and that utilization rates are rising rather than stalling.

From MarketWatch ● Jan. 27, 2026

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