arable

American  

[ar-uh-buhl] / ˈær ə bəl /

adjective

1. capable of producing crops; suitable for farming; suited to the plow and for tillage.

   arable land; arable soil.

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noun

1. land that can be or is cultivated.

arable British  

/ ˈærəbəl /

adjective

1. (of land) being or capable of being tilled for the production of crops

2. of, relating to, or using such land

   arable farming

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noun

1. arable land or farming

Other Word Forms

• arability noun

Etymology

Origin of arable

1375–1425; < Latin arābilis, equivalent to arā ( re ) to plow + -bilis -ble; replacing late Middle English erable, equivalent to er ( en ) to plow ( Old English erian ) + -able -able

Explanation

If you describe land as arable, it means that something can grow there. If you're looking to raise crops, you better find yourself a patch of arable land. Arable has its Latin roots in the word arare, which means "to plow." Arable soil is ground that can be plowed and cultivated. Chances are — if you are using the word arable, then either the word land or the word soil is following it; however, you might also see the phrase "arable crops" — meaning those crops that are able to be grown on arable land.

Example Sentences

We call the deep, folded valleys of West Dorset “coombes,” a topography often too steep for tractors; too awkward to be given over to large-scale arable farming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

As spring weather finally comes to Wiltshire's arable fields, farmers are getting busy preparing to plant.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Irma was one of Chávez’s direct beneficiaries; she received a parcel of arable land which she cultivated with her brother.

From Slate • Jan. 15, 2026

Large herds of fallow deer cause problems for arable farmers throughout the year, too, trampling freshly planted crops in the spring and then returning to nibble their way through the fields ahead of harvest time.

From BBC • Dec. 25, 2025

Every scrap of arable land had been terraced and planted with barley, bitter buckwheat, or potatoes.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer