friable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of friable
First recorded in 1555–65; from Latin friābilis, equivalent to friā(re) “to rub, crumble” + -ābilis -able
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.
Britain is a “defiant but friable little nation floating off the edge of a continent” that itself is “an appendix of Asia.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
The Army Corps, he wrote, “estimates that 50% of the sites on the property contain friable asbestos.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2025
In 1936, the name "Ehlers-Danlos syndrome" was proposed and three cardinal symptoms were identified: joints had to be overly bendy, and skin had to be both stretchy and unusually "friable", meaning it crumbled easily.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2022
McCarron noted that the friable clay we were walking on would fall apart underfoot in the dry summer months.
From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 2022
Now there were open fields among the lakes and forests, fields with the crumbly friable soil potatoes love.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
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