portable

[ pawr-tuh-buh l, pohr- ]
/ ˈpɔr tə bəl, ˈpoʊr- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR portable ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

capable of being transported or conveyed: a portable stage.
easily carried or conveyed by hand: a portable typewriter.
Computers. (of data sets, software, etc.) capable of being used on different computer systems.
Obsolete. endurable.

noun

something that is portable, especially as distinguished from a nonportable counterpart: Of their three television sets, one is a portable.

QUIZZES

TAKE ROUND 2 OF OUR PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ!

Here is our second set of teacher-selected PSAT vocabulary words. Do you know the meanings of these terms?
Question 1 of 10
advocate
to give up possession or occupancy of.
to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly.
to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence.
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Origin of portable

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English word from Late Latin word portābilis. See port5, -able

OTHER WORDS FROM portable

port·a·bly, adverbnon·port·a·ble, adjectiveun·port·a·ble, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH portable

portable potable

Words nearby portable

port., porta, porta-potti, portabella, portability, portable, portacaval, portacaval shunt, portadown, portage, portage la prairie
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to portable

compact, convenient, handy, lightweight, light, movable, manageable, conveyable, portative, wieldy

Example sentences from the Web for portable

British Dictionary definitions for portable

portable
/ (ˈpɔːtəbəl) /

adjective

able to be carried or moved easily, esp by hand
(of software, files, etc) able to be transferred from one type of computer system to another
archaic able to be endured; bearable

noun

an article designed to be readily carried by hand, such as a television, typewriter, etc

Derived forms of portable

portability, nounportably, adverb

Word Origin for portable

C14: from Late Latin portābilis, from Latin portāre to carry
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