disposable

American  

[dih-spoh-zuh-buhl] / dɪˈspoʊ zə bəl /

adjective

1. designed for or capable of being thrown away after being used or used up.

   disposable plastic spoons; a disposable cigarette lighter.

2. free for use; available.

   Every disposable vehicle was sent.

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noun

disposables plural

1. something disposable after a single use, as a paper cup, plate, or napkin.

disposable British  

/ dɪˈspəʊzəbəl /

adjective

1. designed for disposal after use

   disposable cups

2. available for use if needed

   disposable assets

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noun

1. something, such as a baby's nappy, that is designed for disposal

2. (plural) short for disposable goods

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• disposability
  noun
• disposableness
  noun
• nondisposable
  adjective
• disposably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• disposables
  plural

Etymology

Origin of disposable

First recorded in 1645–55; dispose + -able

Explanation

Something disposable is not meant to last. It's OK to throw it out after you use it. Disposable diapers are a good example of what the word disposable is all about: after the diaper is used, it goes straight into the trash, and you can't use it again. Something disposable is replaceable. If a boss decides an employee is disposable, that means the employee will probably be fired. As you can imagine, people don't like to feel disposable. Lots of people don't like products that are disposable either. Disposing of things just creates more garbage, which is bad for the environment. Usually, things that are recyclable are better.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disposable disposables

The club was loud, crowded and alive in the way only a queer room can be when the world outside has made everyone inside feel disposable.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

Although the experiments focused on a single polymer, the researchers believe the same general strategy could be adapted for other materials, including plastics widely used in disposable products.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 17, 2026

And more than anything else, firms and families' spending power is still under pressure, with the latest ONS figures showing disposable income falling.

From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026

For years, Fed data have shown that consumers’ disposable spending has risen alongside their wealth, while savings rates have fallen.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 11, 2026

She pops a disposable cone on a thermometer and sticks it in my ear.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

His philosophy is to use features like color, weight, and shape to communicate containers’ reusability, making it less plausible that people will confuse them for disposables.

From Salon ● May 2, 2024

Over half of the charities Newsbeat spoke to suggested they'd like to hand out more reusable products but a number indicated that disposables, such as tampons and pads were still preferred by women.

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2024

But the UK Vaping Industry Association says disposables help smokers quit, and can be recycled.

From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2023

A wholesaler will import a shipping container of disposables and then sell the contents to smaller distributors, who then sell the products to local independent stores out of vans or trucks.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 26, 2023

Today's cameras-from the disposables to the fully automated-encapsulate everything we have to know to operate them.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Nadin, Mihai

Related Words

• superfluous
• unimportant