doable
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of doable
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at do 1, -able
Explanation
Something that's doable can be achieved or is possible. You might be certain your plan to ride your bike across the country is doable, while your friends and family aren't so sure. Learning to speak a new language might feel impossible at first, but you'll soon realize it's doable, especially if you find people to practice speaking with. While keeping 200 cats in your house would be utterly unworkable, keeping two cats is completely doable. Though the adjective doable has been in use since the 15th century, today it's considered to be an informal word.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Last fall I walked from the northern tip of Manhattan to Battery Park, a jaunt that was tiring but doable in about six hours.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
"We've just filled up the van and it's cost us just short of £130. How is that doable? To just carry on filling up your van each time," Naomi says.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 2026
The RBC analysts said that the same-store sales target was doable.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 18, 2026
“This is really, really doable in targeted pockets of downtown,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
This is doable, of course—minority and underprivileged students rise to the challenge all the time—but it takes energy.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
