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

Etymology

Origin of convertible

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

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

Midstream stocks returned 24% this year, driven by natural gas infrastructure, while the convertible market gained 20% from AI-related firms.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

Bed Bath & Beyond acquired the Container Store in April for about $150 million in stock and convertible notes, part of the company’s attempt at a comeback after its own bankruptcy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 22, 2026

Alphabet’s $10 billion stock sale to Berkshire was part of its $85 billion equity raise, External link which also included a public equity offering and a public sale of mandatory convertible preferred stock.

From Barron's • Jun. 22, 2026

Investors’ ravenous appetite for AI-related assets has helped push the performance of convertible bonds past many traditional stock and bond benchmarks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026

But Oliver had an idea: we took the money to the Czech embassy, where he had a friend who exchanged it for a convertible currency.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• adaptable