frangible

American  

[fran-juh-buhl] / ˈfræn dʒə bəl /

adjective

1. easily broken; breakable.

   Most frangible toys are not suitable for young children.

   Synonyms:

   frail, fragile

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frangible British  

/ ˈfrændʒɪbəl /

adjective

1. breakable or fragile

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Other Word Forms

• frangibility noun
• frangibleness noun
• nonfrangibility noun
• nonfrangible adjective

Etymology

Origin of frangible

1375–1425; late Middle English < Old French, derivative of Latin frangere to break; see -ible

Explanation

Something that's frangible is breakable. You might scold your little sister, "Hey, don't throw that plate like a Frisbee! It's frangible!" Frangible things can be broken, and they're especially likely to be described this way if they're brittle or crumbly. If your pizza crust is thin, crisp and cracker-like, you can call it frangible. The pages of a very old book you find in your attic might also be frangible. More figuratively, you could describe your easily injured feelings as frangible too. The Latin root is frangere, which means "to break."

Example Sentences

International aviation safety guidelines state that such navigation structures should be made of frangible, or breakable, material -- a recommendation not followed at the Muan airport.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

You know how flexible, frangible and febrile language is; you recognise it as both combatant and friend.

From The Guardian • Feb. 27, 2013

And investigators are likely to ask why the steel light tower wasn't made of frangible material, which breaks easily on impact--another usual FAA mandate.

From Time Magazine Archive

They fret in frustrated juxtaposition, kept from an explosive embrace by a frangible barrier of chemical propriety.

From Time Magazine Archive

And he rejected the claim that diamonds cannot be smashed with a hammer: in recent times, every diamond tested had proved to be frangible.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton