curable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of curable
1350–1400; Middle English (< Middle French ) < Latin cūrābilis, equivalent to cūrā ( re ) to care for (derivative of cūra care) + -bilis -ble
Explanation
Something curable can be fixed or healed. A curable illness or disorder can be treated and recovered from. A bad infection can be scary, but it's most often curable with antibiotics. There are even types of cancer that, while serious, can be treated and are therefore considered curable. Another meaning of curable is "able to be hardened, or cured." You might apply several coats of a curable coating after sanding and staining your dining room table. The Latin root is cura, "care or concern," and also "means of healing."
Vocabulary lists containing curable
Power Suffix: -able
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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.
In turn, targeted therapies will either prevent Alzheimer’s in the first place or convert it and other progressive dementias into chronically manageable or even curable conditions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness estimates that $30 billion is lost in productivity from preventable or curable eye diseases in India alone.
From Barron's ● May 27, 2026
Bowel cancer is curable, especially if diagnosed at an early stage.
From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026
Active TB disease is treatable and curable with appropriate antibiotics if it is identified promptly; some cases require hospitalization.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 3, 2026
The only comfort is that both homesickness and seasickness are instantly curable.
From "Boy: Tales of a Childhood" by Roald Dahl
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.
