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degradable

American  
[dih-grey-duh-buhl] / dɪˈgreɪ də bəl /

adjective

  1. susceptible to chemical breakdown.

degradable British  
/ dɪˈɡreɪdəbəl /

adjective

  1. (of waste products, packaging materials, etc) capable of being decomposed chemically or biologically See also biodegradable

  2. capable of being degraded

"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
degradable Scientific  
/ dĭ-grā′də-bəl /

  1. Relating to a compound that breaks down into simpler compounds by stages. During the degradation of a degradable compound, well-defined intermediate products are created.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of degradable

First recorded in 1960–65; degrade + -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.

Back inside, Jerri G. Smitko, a local lawyer, held a sign reading “BP — A Bayou Degradable Company.”

From New York Times • Jul. 17, 2010

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.