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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.

But Apple’s team, Mr. Pogue writes, knew that “a hard drive the size of an Oreo” would be the perfect platform for a portable music player, and they negotiated exclusive access to the drive.

From The Wall Street Journal

About the size of a football, the fire engine-red sirens look like a clunky, portable speaker.

From Los Angeles Times

Chinese producer Honor is displaying what it calls a "robot phone" designed to function as a portable AI companion.

From Barron's

The backup power provider missed earnings expectations for the fourth quarter due to a lack of power outages and lower shipments of home and portable generators.

From Barron's

The backup power provider missed earnings expectations for the fourth quarter due to a lack of power outages and lower shipments of home and portable generators.

From Barron's

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.