potable
Americanadjective
noun
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of potable
1565–75; < Late Latin pōtābilis drinkable, equivalent to Latin pōtā ( re ) to drink + -bilis -ble
Explanation
If something is potable that means it's safe to drink. In developed countries, tap water is usually potable. Puddle water is not. I know you want to take a sip of that puddle water, but please, restrain yourself. Potable can also be a noun, meaning any drinkable liquid. The word comes from the Latin potare, meaning "to drink." Not only did the Romans come up with that word; they built some of the world's first aqueducts, above-ground channels that brought potable water from the mountains to the cities. Potable water is often in short supply after natural catastrophes like earthquakes and hurricanes, and its availability is often discussed on the news.
Vocabulary lists containing potable
Power Suffix: -able
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Earth Science - Middle School
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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.
In the waterfront area, a potable water tank and adjacent warehouse were damaged.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
We've also got concerns about the ability of some of those ships to produce potable water.
From Barron's ● Mar. 17, 2026
Not every bucket drawn up from the well of old IP will prove potable, but it often has: “Arrested Development,” “Veronica Mars,” “Party Down,” “Roseanne/The Conners,” “Frasier,” even “Dallas.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 24, 2026
The crew also does not have access to potable drinking water.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
To make the water potable, the Maya laid a layer of crushed limestone atop the sediments, effectively paving over the salt.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
