viable

American  

[vahy-uh-buhl] / ˈvaɪ ə bəl /

adjective

1. 

   capable of living.

2. Physiology.

   1. physically fitted to live.

   2. (of a fetus) having reached such a stage of development as to be capable of living, under normal conditions, outside the uterus.

3. Botany. able to live and grow.

4. vivid; real; stimulating, as to the intellect, imagination, or senses.

   a period of history that few teachers can make viable for students.

5. practicable; workable.

   a viable alternative.

   Synonyms:

   adaptable, usable, feasible, practical

6. having the ability to grow, expand, develop, etc..

   a new and viable country.

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viable British  

/ ˈvaɪəbəl /

adjective

1. capable of becoming actual, useful, etc; practicable

   a viable proposition

2. (of seeds, eggs, etc) capable of normal growth and development

3. (of a fetus) having reached a stage of development at which further development can occur independently of the mother

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Other Word Forms

• viability
  noun
• unviable
  adjective
• viably
  adverb

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Etymology

Origin of viable

First recorded in 1820–30; from French, from vi(e) “life” (from Latin vīta; see vital) + -able -able

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Explanation

When something is viable, it has the ability to grow or function properly. A viable seed can develop into a plant, while a viable company has the resources to succeed. The adjective viable refers to something able to function properly and even grow. It is made up of the Latin root vita, which means "life," and the ending -able, which means "to be possible." In terms of science or botany, when a plant is viable it can live and flourish in an environment such as a cactus in the desert. Consider also the Wright brothers, who were the first to develop a viable airplane after many tries and spectacular failures.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

viable

Roboticists are hopeful that AI can turn humanoids, once seen as a technological non-starter, into a viable industry.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

As one would expect, fight scenes litter the new “Street Fighter,” Hollywood’s third stab at making the popular video game a viable big-screen franchise.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026

OpenAI's reporting of annualised revenue of $50 billion in September indicated a viable business model but offered few guarantees over the long term.

From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026

But Oratomic’s work, he added, felt “a lot closer to being commercially viable and interesting, especially for our timeline for investments.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

The organism remains viable in the soil for years and therefore be comes to all intents and purposes permanently established, increasing in effectiveness, and being continuously spread by natural agencies.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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Related Words

• applicable
• feasible
• possible
• usable
• workable

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