serviceable
Americanadjective
-
capable of or being of service; useful.
- Synonyms:
- functional, usable, effective
-
wearing well; durable.
serviceable cloth.
-
capable of being used, worn, cleaned, repaired, etc., easily.
adjective
-
capable of or ready for service; usable
-
capable of giving good service; durable
-
archaic diligent in service
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of serviceable
1300–50; service 1 + -able; replacing Middle English servisable < Middle French
Explanation
When something is serviceable, it's useful just the way it is. You might describe your rusty old car as perfectly serviceable if it always gets you where you need to go. If your eccentric grandmother insists on buying you a full-length fur coat, you could argue that all you need is a serviceable winter jacket — simply one that will do its job and keep you warm. On the other hand, you might long for a beautiful pair of leather boots despite having a serviceable pair of rubber galoshes. Serviceable was spelled the same way in Old English, although it originally meant "willing to be of service," and only later came to mean "usable or useful."
Vocabulary lists containing serviceable
List 7
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List 6
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Excerpts from and adaptations of "Twelfth Night"
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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.
He has said that Trump has admiringly called him a "tough cookie" in private conversations, punctuating the point with a serviceable impersonation of the president.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Coherent, meanwhile, said its own serviceable addressable market could stand at more than $70 billion by the end of the decade.
From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026
That project would have served as a serviceable foundation for a career that expanded into more meaningful social critique, but Mr. Arsham has continued to rely on the same gimmick for over a decade.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026
This first installment of Murphy’s latest anthology franchise is a serviceable romance in a time when such stories rarely receive even modest studio budgets, let alone wide theatrical release.
From Salon • Feb. 12, 2026
This merchant directed me to a dealer who sold me a serviceable horse.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Definitions 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.
