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.
Just 30 days after treatment, the animals showed measurable improvements.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
We haven't had a measurable that we can say, 'Oh, this part is not working well enough.'
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
“The board has a responsibility to ensure those resources are spent transparently, responsibly and in ways that produce measurable benefits for students,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“Importantly, we are acting on our previously outlined priorities including restoring margins, increasing investment, reducing complexity, and rebalancing capital allocation, which are translating into measurable progress across the business,” Brase said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
To claim that there existed a substance with no measurable attributes was, he maintained, to turn physics into a fantastical story, like Don Quixote.
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.
