billable

American  

[bil-uh-buhl] / ˈbɪl ə bəl /

adjective

1. that may or should be billed.

   Attorneys put in hundreds of billable hours on the case.

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noun

1. an active customer account.

billable British  

/ ˈbɪləbəl /

adjective

1. referring to time worked, esp by a lawyer, on behalf of a particular client and for which that client will be expected to pay

   a timesheet of my billable hours

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Other Word Forms

• nonbillable adjective
• unbillable adjective

Etymology

Origin of billable

First recorded in 1570–80; bill ¹ + -able

Example Sentences

It provoked litigation and an avalanche of billable hours that only cooled when both parties agreed to explore coexistence.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Meta and Google each had multiple partners from white-shoe firms at the defense table every day for eight weeks in Los Angeles, attorneys who can command thousands of dollars per billable hour.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

Investors need to hear that incremental capacity is converting into billable services quickly, and that utilization rates are rising rather than stalling.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026

The Kardashian vehicle keeps that consumerist energy, updating the sentiment with a thick slathering of capitalist feminism that equates a woman’s power to her billable rate.

From Salon • Nov. 6, 2025

The vetters - campaign officials and lawyers who volunteer their billable hours for the networking and prestige - often have about a month to dig up every grain of dirt they can find.

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2024