edible

American  

[ed-uh-buhl] / ˈɛd ə bəl /

adjective

1. fit to be eaten as food; eatable; esculent.

   Are you sure this is edible?

   Synonyms:

   consumable, comestible

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noun

1. Usually edibles

   1. an edible substance; food.

      a basket of fruit, cheeses, and other tasty edibles.

   2. Also called cannabis edible.  Also called marijuana edible.  a food or drink product that is infused with marijuana and ingested as an alternative to smoking or vaping the drug.

      The dispensary sells many popular edibles from candies and cookies to ciders and sodas.

   3. Also called CBD edible.  a food or drink product that is infused with CBD.

      Our food co-op just stocked a special display of CBD edibles, including chocolate bars and tea.

edible British  

/ ˈɛdɪbəl /

adjective

1. fit to be eaten; eatable

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Other Word Forms

• edibility noun
• edibleness noun
• nonedibility noun
• nonedible adjective
• nonedibleness noun
• unedible adjective

Etymology

Origin of edible

First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin edibilis, equivalent to ed(ere) “to eat” + -ibilis adjective suffix; see origin at eat ( def. ), -ible

Explanation

If it’s edible, you can eat it. Many things that you may not want to eat are, in fact, edible. Certain insects are edible, which just means that you can consume them without getting sick (if it doesn't gross you out too much). Edible comes from the Latin word edere, which means “to eat.” Anything that people can safely eat is described as edible. Long before there were complex labels on our packages of food, human predecessors were living in caves and sampling various plants and animals for their survival, all the while learning the hard way whether or not certain things were either edible or poisonous. You are most likely a descendant of the ones who found the edible stuff.

Example Sentences

Although it is an attractive and edible species, the golden oyster mushroom has demonstrated its ability to escape cultivation and establish itself in the wild, where it can outcompete native fungi.

From Science Daily • Apr. 24, 2026

In the still-life composition, a cheeky visual lesson on the collision and convergence of cultures, the jar holds flowers, cactus and edible Mexican treats influenced by Chinese and Filipino flavors.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Weakness in rival edible oils following the announcement also weighed on palm oil prices, Kenanga Futures says in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

The potluck functioned primarily as a social technology — a practical, edible reason for people to linger together after the service.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Today, the staple crops of highland agriculture are the recently introduced sweet potato, along with taro, bananas, yams, sugarcane, edible grass stems, and several leafy vegetables.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• succulent
• tasty