returnable

[ri-tur-nuh-buhl]

adjective

1. that may be returned.

   returnable merchandise.

2. requiring a return, as a writ to the court from which it is issued.

noun

1. a beverage bottle or can that can be returned when empty for refund of a deposit.

Other Word Forms

• returnability noun
• unreturnable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of returnable¹

1375–1425; 1960–65 returnable for def. 3; late Middle English retournable. See return, -able

Example Sentences

Peers voted narrowly to approve an additional amendment that would allow landlords to charge up to three weeks' rent as a returnable deposit, to cover potential damage caused by pets during a tenancy.

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For several months last year, patrons of a Seattle coffee shop called Tailwind Cafe had the option of ordering their Americanos and lattes in returnable metal to-go cups.

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“Any version of a 2020 rover mission that does not prepare a returnable cache would seriously delay any significant progress toward sample return,” it noted.

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I buy milk in returnable glass bottles, and I take jars to places where I can get cooking oil in bulk.

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Loop, for example, helps its corporate clients set up the "reverse logistics" infrastructure that forms the backbone of returnable packaging systems.

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