passable

[pas-uh-buh l, pah-suh-]

See more synonyms for passable on Thesaurus.com

adjective

capable of being passed through, beyond, or over; fit to be traversed, penetrated, crossed, etc., as a road, forest, or stream.
adequate; acceptable: a passable knowledge of French.
capable of being circulated legally or having a valid currency, as a coin.

capable of being or liable to be ratified or enacted: passable legislation.

Origin of passable

1375–1425; late Middle English < Middle French; see pass, -able

Related formspass·a·ble·ness, nounun·pass·a·ble, adjective

Can be confusedpassable passible

Synonyms

See more synonyms for passable on Thesaurus.com

2. presentable, respectable, allowable, tolerable, fair.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for passable

Contemporary Examples

A serious presidential campaign should have at least a passable answer to an obvious, expected, and potentially disabling attack.
Mitt Romney Lost the Summer: Tax Returns, Overseas Gaffes, & More
Robert Shrum
August 8, 2012
What passable comedy has existed in these bleak times has largely sprung from the camp of writer/director/producer Judd Apatow.
‘Ted’ Is Funny: So What Killed the Movie Comedy?
Richard Rushfield
July 2, 2012
You might expect charming or at least passable small talk to be a gateway skill for a politician.
The Awkwardness Olympics
Jill Lawrence
August 23, 2011
Her instructions were clear and I eventually produced a passable batch of puff.
The Art of Making Puff Pastry
Kate Weiner
February 23, 2011
And on any other network, The Biggest Loser's ratings would merely be passable.
NBC, You've Blown It Again!
Jace Lacob
October 26, 2010

Historical Examples

The 3rd Brigade with camels would follow if the road was passable.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill
The gulf, he felt, was not passable with security nor credit.
The False Chevalier
William Douw Lighthall
It seemed to her that most women would find him more than passable.
All Roads Lead to Calvary
Jerome K. Jerome
There could never be any choice, of course—the mountains were passable only when the weather was hot.
Space Prison
Tom Godwin
Even in the rainy season, the Argentine plains had always been passable.
In Search of the Castaways
Jules Verne

British Dictionary definitions for passable

passable

adjective

adequate, fair, or acceptablea passable speech
(of an obstacle) capable of being passed or crossed
(of currency) valid for general circulation
(of a proposed law) able to be ratified or enacted

Derived Formspassableness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for passable

adj.

early 15c., "that may be crossed," from pass (v.) + -able, or from Old French passable "fordable, affording passage" (14c.). Sense of "tolerable" is first attested late 15c. Related: Passably.

passable

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}passable

Synonyms

Examples from the Web for passable

Contemporary Examples

A serious presidential campaign should have at least a passable answer to an obvious, expected, and potentially disabling attack.

What passable comedy has existed in these bleak times has largely sprung from the camp of writer/director/producer Judd Apatow.

You might expect charming or at least passable small talk to be a gateway skill for a politician.

Her instructions were clear and I eventually produced a passable batch of puff.

And on any other network, The Biggest Loser's ratings would merely be passable.

Historical Examples

The 3rd Brigade with camels would follow if the road was passable.

The gulf, he felt, was not passable with security nor credit.

It seemed to her that most women would find him more than passable.

There could never be any choice, of course—the mountains were passable only when the weather was hot.

Even in the rainy season, the Argentine plains had always been passable.

passable

Word Origin and History for passable

adj.

Origin of passable