portable

[ pawr-tuh-buhl, pohr- ]

/ ˈpɔr tə bəl, ˈpoʊr- /

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See synonyms for: portable / portables 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.

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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

Porson, port, porta, portabella, portability, portable, Port Adelaide, Portadown, portage, Portage la Prairie, Portakabin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use portable in a sentence

If you spend a lot of time in and out of your vehicle, you may want to consider a portable heated blanket designed for use in cars.
Best heated throw blanket: Bundle up with these electric blankets|PopSci Commerce Team|February 11, 2021|Popular-Science
They’re discreet, effective, and super portable, making them suitable for use on the go.
Best hand warmers: Block the chill during your favorite winter activities|PopSci Commerce Team|February 10, 2021|Popular-Science
If you are primarily hoping to print out photos, you may want to skip an all-in-one printer and opt for a photo-only portable printer.
Best all-in-one printer: Upgrade your home office with these multitasking machines|Carsen Joenk|February 8, 2021|Popular-Science
Collapsable legs, foldable bodies, and lightweight materials makes ping pong a portable park, party, or BBQ activity.
Advanced tables to enhance your ping pong game|PopSci Commerce Team|February 5, 2021|Popular-Science

Of course, you can always decide to go more compact and portable than full-size.
Best mechanical keyboard: Game, code, type, and work smoother and faster|PopSci Commerce Team|February 4, 2021|Popular-Science
Portable snacks are good to have on hand, too, says Jessica Crandall, RDN, Denver Wellness & Nutrition Director.
5 Hangover Cures to Save You After a Few Too Many|DailyBurn|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And he would especially like American FGM-148 Javelins, man-portable anti-tank missiles to hit at Russian armor.
Should the U.S. Arm Ukraine’s Militias?|Jamie Dettmer|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“We are Moroccans,” went out the cry over a portable loudspeaker.
ISIS’s Black Flags Are Flying in Europe|Nadette De Visser|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ten of those incidents included the mobile rocket launch system known as the man-portable air defense sytsem or MANPAD.
Exclusive: Ukraine Asked U.S. for Tech to Counter Russia's Jet-Killers|Eli Lake|July 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are edit suites mounted on shopping carts, and portable generators to power them.
Brazil’s World Cup Is An Expensive, Exploitative Nightmare|Vac Verikaitis|May 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The "torfuge" (Fig. 31) is said to be a very satisfactory substitute for the centrifuge, and is readily portable.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
I am very glad you have succeeded with your portable steam-engine, and am persuaded they will be more and more adopted.
Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick
The one with the dazed look carried a small metal case that could be unfolded into a portable desk.
Fee of the Frontier|Horace Brown Fyfe
It was then brought to the altar (ara) by the side of which stood a portable brazier (foculus).
The Religion of Ancient Rome|Cyril Bailey
A long, portable cage had been put together on the stage during the intermission, and within it the ten pacing beasts.
The Real Latin Quarter|F. Berkeley Smith

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

portable

Origin of portable

OTHER WORDS FROM portable

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH portable

Words nearby portable

Words related to portable

How to use portable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for portable

Derived forms of portable

Word Origin for portable