programmable

American  

[proh-gram-uh-buhl, proh-gram-] / ˈproʊ græm ə bəl, proʊˈgræm- /

Or programable

adjective

1. capable of being programmed.

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noun

1. an electronic device, as a calculator or telephone, that can be programmed to perform specific tasks.

programmable British  

/ prəʊˈɡræməbəl /

adjective

1. (esp of a device or operation) capable of being programmed for automatic operation or computer processing

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Other Word Forms

• nonprogrammable adjective
• programmability noun
• reprogrammable adjective
• unprogrammable adjective

Etymology

Origin of programmable

First recorded in 1955–60; program + -able

Example Sentences

In addition to cancer treatment, this approach points toward a future of programmable, responsive medicines.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

The instrument will allow Bank of Montreal to offer traditional commercial-bank funds in digital form, made available to a broader set of BMO clients for business-to-business payments, treasury movements, and programmable cash applications.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

“This guy just did something that looks like the first version of programmable medicine that people have been talking about but hasn’t really happened yet,” Jackson said in a video posted on LinkedIn.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

More than three quarters of this new capacity would come from wind power and "programmable technologies such as Battery Energy Storage Systems", Enel said.

From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026

Babbage designed schematics for a programmable computer, something that could process mathematical equations in place of the human mind.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel