decidable

American  

[dih-sahy-duh-buhl] / dɪˈsaɪ də bəl /

adjective

1. capable of being decided.

2. Logic. (of an axiom, proposition, etc.) having the property that its consistency or inconsistency with the axioms of a given logical system is determinable.

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decidable British  

/ dɪˈsaɪdəbəl /

adjective

1. able to be decided

2. logic (of a formal theory) having the property that it is possible by a mechanistic procedure to determine whether or not any well-formed formula is a theorem

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Other Word Forms

• decidability noun
• undecidable adjective

Etymology

Origin of decidable

First recorded in 1585–95; decide + -able

Example Sentences

In some ways, it is the only argument worth having, since the specific cases are not decidable in advance in one way or another.

From The New Yorker • Feb. 25, 2019

If you impose any limit, even the lifetime of the universe, then it is decidable, although in practice, that is not much better than if it were not.

From Scientific American • Feb. 1, 2019

Part of it was about maximum tax rates, a clear and decidable issue.

From New York Times • Nov. 3, 2016

This so-called Boolean satisfiability problem is decidable, but it remains an extraordinarily difficult logical problem.

From Slate • Nov. 17, 2015