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Synonyms

portable

American  
[pawr-tuh-buhl, pohr-] / ˈpɔr tə bəl, ˈpoʊr- /

adjective

  1. capable of being transported or conveyed.

    a portable stage.

  2. easily carried or conveyed by hand.

    I found a lightweight, portable propane stove for our trekking holiday.

  3. Computers. (of data sets, software, etc.) capable of being used on different computer systems.

  4. Obsolete. endurable.

noun

  1. something that is easily carried by hand, especially as distinguished from a counterpart that is harder or less convenient to move.

    Of their three television sets, one is a portable.
portable British  
/ ˈpɔːtəbəl /

adjective

  1. able to be carried or moved easily, esp by hand

  2. (of software, files, etc) able to be transferred from one type of computer system to another

  3. archaic able to be endured; bearable

"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

noun

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

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonportable adjective
  • portability noun
  • portably adverb
  • unportable adjective

Etymology

Origin of portable

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin portābilis; port 5, -able

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.

Seven-year-old Chloe was among the first in the city to visit the portable dome structure in which a number of films about the universe are projected onto a huge cinema screen.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

In the age of drones and portable antiship missiles, retaking the Strait of Hormuz would be anything but simple, but not impossible, military experts say.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

If you really want to level up your potluck game, take a cue from tailgate culture: a small portable crockpot is a marvel.

From Salon • Mar. 15, 2026

Like Joseph, who let me borrow his portable air conditioner — and even installed it — when a heat wave hit Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

A second contractor received the exclusive right to rent Kodaks to fair visitors, the Kodak being a new kind of portable camera that eliminated the need for lens and shutter adjustments.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson

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.