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.
Solar power and advanced water recycling systems would eliminate the need for utility hookups, only requiring occasional deliveries of potable water and propane to run the systems.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
The crew also does not have access to potable drinking water.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
Burr and his co-conspirators absconded with the money, and it took another 40 years for New Yorkers to gain wide access to potable water.
From Barron's ● Dec. 19, 2025
Hikers often carry the drops, or tablets, using small amounts to make quarts of fresh water potable.
From Salon ● Dec. 15, 2025
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.
