portable
Americanadjective
-
capable of being transported or conveyed.
a portable stage.
-
easily carried or conveyed by hand.
I found a lightweight, portable propane stove for our trekking holiday.
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Computers. (of data sets, software, etc.) capable of being used on different computer systems.
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Obsolete. endurable.
noun
adjective
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able to be carried or moved easily, esp by hand
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(of software, files, etc) able to be transferred from one type of computer system to another
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archaic able to be endured; bearable
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of portable
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English, from Late Latin portābilis; see port 5, -able
Explanation
If something's portable, you can easily take it with you . You may carry your portable computer with you from class to class because it's small, light, and fits easily in your backpack. First appearing around 1400, portable stems from the Latin word portare, meaning "to carry." Used as an adjective, portable describes something you can carry around easily. Used as a noun, it means a smaller, easy-to-carry version of something, like a computer or television. On a trip, you might take your portable so you can watch movies in the car. Before computers became popular, you might have carried around a lightweight typewriter called a portable.
Vocabulary lists containing portable
Vocabulary from history writings about the Triangle Factory Fire
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Latin Love, Vol I: portare
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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.
The team envisions a future in which portable systems could be deployed directly over burning oil spills to intentionally generate fire whirls on demand.
From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2026
The CarryMen also carry prams, umbrellas, foldable chairs, water bottles and portable chargers and are trained in opening and locking prams to ensure safe usage.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
Heads of kindergartens are given specialized crisis training and emergency supplies with radios, first-aid kits and portable stoves.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026
The completed system occupies just 0.4 square mm while maintaining high sensitivity and strong resistance to electrical noise, which is a major challenge for portable, low-cost electronics.
From Science Daily • May 26, 2026
He had a portable, disposable heating pad wrapped around his midsection because he thought his lower back was going into spasms.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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.
