convertible

American  

[kuhn-vur-tuh-buhl] / kənˈvɜr tə bəl /

adjective

1. capable of being converted.

2. having a folding top, as an automobile or pleasure boat.

3. exchangeable for something of equal value.

   debts payable only in convertible currencies.

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noun

• convertibles
  plural

1. an automobile or a boat with a folding top.

2. a sofa, couch, or chair whose seating section can be folded out into a bed.

3. Finance. a convertible bond or security.

convertible British  

/ kənˈvɜːtəbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being converted

2. (of a car) having a folding or removable roof

3. finance

   1. a bond or debenture that can be converted to ordinary or preference shares on a fixed date at a fixed price

   2. (of a paper currency) exchangeable on demand for precious metal to an equivalent value

   3. able to be converted into a longer term mortgage without financial penalty

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noun

1. a car with a folding or removable roof

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• convertibility
  noun
• convertibleness
  noun
• nonconvertibility
  noun
• nonconvertibleness
  noun
• unconvertibility
  noun
• unconvertibleness
  noun
• nonconvertible
  adjective
• unconvertible
  adjective
• convertibly
  adverb
• nonconvertibly
  adverb
• unconvertibly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• convertibles
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of convertible

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Medieval Latin word convertibilis. See convert ¹, -ible

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Explanation

If it starts to rain while you’re riding in a convertible car with the top down, you can always put the top back up. Convertible is an adjective that means “capable of changing from one form to another.” Something that is convertible can be changed or transformed from one thing to another. Money, for instance, is convertible because it can be changed from one currency to another — for example, from dollars to euros. A sofa bed is convertible because it can be transformed from a sofa into a bed. Likewise, a convertible jacket is a jacket that can be changed (by removing the sleeves or an inner lining) depending on the weather.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

convertible convertibles

During the crash, his brown Maserati convertible collided with an unoccupied Tesla, according to the criminal complaint filed in July.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

Authorities at the time said witnesses saw the convertible briefly stop before driving away.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

As of Sept. 30, Amazon said it held 164 million shares of Anthropic’s nonvoting preferred stock and convertible notes, which it estimates to be worth about $146.2 billion, although its stake is capped at 12%.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 3, 2026

The so-called mandatory convertible preferred stock is expected to carry a dividend yield of 6% to 6.5%.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

Every weekend, Mack and Helen took me in their convertible to a fast-food restaurant, where they ordered me French fries and a strawberry shake.

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate

“What benefits convertible bond issuers: high stock prices, tight credit spreads, and well-supported stock volatility. We have all three of those things right now,” said Michael Youngworth, head of global convertibles strategy at BofA Securities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026

"So if you're someone who's passionate about convertibles and you want to see affordable models, It might be best to wait for the Chinese to take a bigger slice of the market."

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

A high delta means the convertibles track the stock closely.

From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026

Mandatory convertibles often carry dividend yields of 4% or more.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

Open cars of flowers—like convertibles in some nightmare Rose Parade—crept behind the curtained hearse.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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Related Words

• adaptable

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