payable

American  

[pey-uh-buhl] / ˈpeɪ ə bəl /

adjective

1. to be paid; due.

   a loan payable in 30 days.

2. capable of being or liable to be paid.

3. profitable.

4. Law. imposing an immediate obligation on the debtor.

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noun

1. an amount, bill, etc., that is to be paid.

2. payables, the accounts payable of a business.

   Payables are now handled by our computer.

payable British  

/ ˈpeɪəbəl /

adjective

1. (often foll by on) to be paid

   payable on the third of each month

2. that is capable of being paid

3. capable of being profitable

4. (of a debt) imposing an obligation on the debtor to pay, esp at once

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Other Word Forms

• payability noun
• payableness noun
• payably adverb
• unpayable adjective
• unpayably adverb

Etymology

Origin of payable

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; pay ¹, -able

Example Sentences

The fine is essentially a punishment payable to the government, because contempt of court is treated as an offence against the courts.

From BBC

The dividend is payable March 31 to stockholders of record on March 13, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal

The dividend is payable on April 14 to shareholders of record March 24, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Berkshire’s mountain of cash and equivalents swelled to a record $373.1 billion at the end of 2025, after accounting for a payable for purchasing some short-term government debt.

From The Wall Street Journal

Berkshire ended 2025 with a record $373.1 billion in cash and Treasury bills after accounting for a payable for purchasing some of the short-term government debt, a 4% increase from three months earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• outstanding
• owed
• unpaid