flammable
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
Flammable and inflammable are interchangeable when used of the properties of materials. Flammable is, however, often preferred for warning labels as there is less likelihood of misunderstanding ( inflammable being sometimes taken to mean not flammable ). Inflammable is preferred in figurative contexts: this could prove to be an inflammable situation
Commonly Confused
See inflammable.
Other Word Forms
- flammability noun
Etymology
Origin of flammable
First recorded in 1805–15; from Latin flammā(re) “to set on fire” + -ble
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.
Hydrogen is leakier and more flammable, and it burns hotter and faster than gas.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026
In 2015, blasts at warehouses containing flammable chemicals in the port city of Tianjin killed more than 170 people and injured 700 others.
From Barron's • Jan. 18, 2026
Many nightclub fires share a common factor: flammable soundproofing foam and interior finishes that cover much of the space and can ignite easily.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 4, 2026
He argues it permits too many "tolerable" risks - for example, allowing flammable materials in window systems and between floors to remain even if they could let fire spread.
From BBC • Dec. 24, 2025
“A candle. You want to light a candle in here? In a room filled with very dry, flammable things?”
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
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.
