inflammable

[ in-flam-uh-buhl ]

/ ɪnˈflæm ə bəl /

adjective

capable of being set on fire; combustible; flammable.

easily aroused or excited, as to passion or anger; irascible: an inflammable disposition.

noun

something inflammable.

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Origin of inflammable

1595–1605; < Medieval Latin inflammābilis, equivalent to Latin inflammā(re) to inflame + -bilis -ble

SYNONYMS FOR inflammable

2 fiery, volatile, choleric.

usage note for inflammable

Inflammable and flammable both mean “combustible.” Inflammable is the older by about 200 years. Flammable now has certain technical uses, particularly as a warning on vehicles carrying combustible materials, because of a belief that some might interpret the intensive prefix in- of inflammable as a negative prefix and thus think the word means “noncombustible.” Inflammable is the word more usually used in nontechnical and figurative contexts: The speaker ignited the inflammable emotions of the crowd.

OTHER WORDS FROM inflammable

in·flam·ma·bil·i·ty, in·flam·ma·ble·ness, nounin·flam·ma·bly, adverbnon·in·flam·ma·bil·i·ty, nounnon·in·flam·ma·ble, adjective

non·in·flam·ma·ble·ness, nounnon·in·flam·ma·bly, adverbun·in·flam·ma·bil·i·ty, nounun·in·flam·ma·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH inflammable

inflammable inflammatory

Words nearby inflammable

infirmary, infirmity, infix, infl., inflame, inflammable, inflammation, inflammatory, inflammatory bowel disease, inflammatory carcinoma, inflammatory lymph

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for inflammability

I think that, in all, I have had four instances of inflammable air losing its inflammability, while it stood in water.
Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air|Joseph Priestley
Risk depends, of course, largely upon the character and inflammability of the forest cover and the presence of human causes.
Our National Forests|Richard H. Douai Boerker
If we wish the celibate to respect marriage, married people ought to have some regard for the inflammability of bachelors.
The Physiology of Marriage, Complete|Honore de Balzac
It is also used in fireworks on account of its inflammability.
Commercial Geography|Jacques W. Redway

The inflammability of coal dust varies with different coals, but none can be said to be entirely free from risk.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 5|Various

British Dictionary definitions for inflammability

inflammable

/ (ɪnˈflæməbəl) /

adjective

liable to catch fire; flammable

readily aroused to anger or passion

noun

something that is liable to catch fire

Derived forms of inflammable

inflammability or inflammableness, nouninflammably, adverb

undefined inflammable

See flammable

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012