measurable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of measurable
1300–50; Middle English mesurable < Middle French < Late Latin mēnsūrābilis that can be measured. See measure, -able
Explanation
If you can determine the exact size of something, it's measurable. Your Spanish class's average score on a test is measurable — but the amount of enthusiasm your classmates felt about taking the test isn't measurable. If you can measure something, figuring out its precise size, degree, or amount, then it's measurable. There's a measurable quantity of milk left in the fridge and a measurable amount of snow in your front yard. A slightly different way to use this adjective is to mean noticeable, or important enough to be measured. If there's a measurable improvement in your sister's mood after you help her clean her room, the difference is enough for you to notice — even if it's just slightly better.
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.
A number of places have had no measurable wet weather for around three weeks or longer.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
For the broader S&P 500, around 25% of companies mentioned at least one measurable benefit, the analysts say, in line with 1Q and up from 14% in 2Q25.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Although DHA reached the brain, that did not translate into measurable cognitive benefits.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 29, 2026
A mile away, inside Lumen Field, the reaction to Alex Freeman’s goal at the end of the first half produced measurable earth movement, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
Some found a measurable parallax, but others insisted that there was no parallax to measure.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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.
