readable

American  

[ree-duh-buhl] / ˈri də bəl /

adjective

1. easy or interesting to read.

2. capable of being read; legible.

   readable handwriting.

3. pertaining to letter mail with addresses and zip codes capable of being read by optical scanning devices.

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readable British  

/ ˈriːdəbəl /

adjective

1. (of handwriting, etc) able to be read or deciphered; legible

2. (of style of writing) interesting, easy, or pleasant to read

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Other Word Forms

• readability noun
• readably adverb

Etymology

Origin of readable

First recorded in 1560–70; read ¹ + -able

Example Sentences

Every encrypted communication, every financial transaction, every military secret becomes readable.

From MarketWatch

Ramps, captions, readable fonts, and interpreters are not preferences, they argue, but requirements under the Americans with Disabilities Act in a world that was not designed with disabled people in mind.

From Salon

The pictures are perfectly readable in spite of their small size; the selections are retrospective, so readers get bits of each artist’s entire career.

From The Wall Street Journal

Of those that were readable, many were either already public or provided minimal information.

From Salon

He began building the book, which grew to have a color-coded system readable at a glance: red for punt, yellow for attempt a field goal and green for go.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• absorbing
• amusing
• appealing
• eloquent
• engaging
• engrossing
• enjoyable
• entertaining
• enthralling
• fascinating
• gripping
• interesting
• rewarding
• satisfying
• well-written
• worthwhile