edible
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of edible
First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin edibilis, equivalent to ed(ere) “to eat” + -ibilis adjective suffix; see origin at eat ( def. ), -ible
Explanation
If it’s edible, you can eat it. Many things that you may not want to eat are, in fact, edible. Certain insects are edible, which just means that you can consume them without getting sick (if it doesn't gross you out too much). Edible comes from the Latin word edere, which means “to eat.” Anything that people can safely eat is described as edible. Long before there were complex labels on our packages of food, human predecessors were living in caves and sampling various plants and animals for their survival, all the while learning the hard way whether or not certain things were either edible or poisonous. You are most likely a descendant of the ones who found the edible stuff.
Vocabulary lists containing edible
NAEP Test Words
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "E"
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Words to Know Before You Defrost the Bird
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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.
By 2008, soybean oil accounted for approximately 80% of the 18 billion pounds of edible oils Americans used annually.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
A compound found in an edible marine animal may offer scientists a new way to investigate how aging affects the brain and whether some of those changes can eventually be reversed.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 4, 2026
Human beings have, throughout history, opportunistically eaten almost any edible thing that they could get their hands on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
The home’s environmentally friendly features continue outside, where solar panels help power the property and an edible landscape offers a variety of homegrown produce.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
One day, when we were reading yet another description of a character with skin the color of caramel or chocolate, Elle pointed out that people aren’t edible.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
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.
