returnable

American  

[ri-tur-nuh-buhl] / rɪˈtɜr nə bəl /

adjective

1. that may be returned.

   returnable merchandise.

2. requiring a return, as a writ to the court from which it is issued.

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noun

1. a beverage bottle or can that can be returned when empty for refund of a deposit.

returnable British  

/ rɪˈtɜːnəbəl /

adjective

1. able to be taken, given, or sent back

2. required to be returned by law, as a claim to the court from which it issued

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• returnability
  noun
• unreturnable
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of returnable

1375–1425; 1960–65 returnable for def. 3; late Middle English retournable. See return, -able

Explanation

Anything returnable can be sent or taken back. When you buy a returnable sweater at the mall, you have the option to take it to the store and get your money back if you decide you don't look good in purple. A returnable bottle is one that you can take back to the store and trade in for a little money after you've used or consumed its contents. And when booksellers carry returnable magazines, they can send the unsold copies back to the vendor for credit. When things are returnable, you are literally able to return them.

Example Sentences

Drs Ledesma-Amaro and Shamsul have sent small amounts of the yeast concoction to orbit the Earth in a small cube satellite on board Europe's first commercial returnable spacecraft, Phoenix.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

“Any version of a 2020 rover mission that does not prepare a returnable cache would seriously delay any significant progress toward sample return,” it noted.

From Scientific American • Oct. 30, 2023

I buy milk in returnable glass bottles, and I take jars to places where I can get cooking oil in bulk.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2023

Although returnable packaging systems are still geographically limited — they're usually only available to those living in major cities — consumers who have access to them report big benefits.

From Salon • Jun. 25, 2023

They were interchangeable from base to base, like returnable bottles.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy