adjective
Other Word Forms
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nonreusableadjective
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nonreuseableadjective
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nonusableadjective
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nonuseableadjective
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reusabilitynoun
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reusableadjective
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reusablenessnoun
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reuseabilitynoun
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reuseableadjective
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reuseablenessnoun
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unusableadjective
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unusablenessnoun
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unusablyadverb
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unuseableadjective
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unuseablenessnoun
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unuseablyadverb
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usabilitynoun
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usablenessnoun
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usablyadverb
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useabilitynoun
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useablenessnoun
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useablyadverb
Etymology
Origin of usable
Explanation
Something that's usable can be successfully used right away for its intended purpose. If your car is usable, it's running just fine. A usable tent has all of its poles and is more or less waterproof, and a usable pair of shoes fits well and doesn't have holes. Describing something as usable can sometimes be faint praise: "Well, this basketball is usable, but just barely." When information is described as usable, it usually means it's actively available, and not just stored in a computer, for example. This is a relatively new adjective, first appearing around 1840.
Vocabulary lists containing usable
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.
"The shift from 30% pulp recovery in wild varieties to 70% recovery in hybrids like Arka Sahan has effectively doubled the usable harvest for farmers without needing more land," Sakthivel says.
From BBC • May 25, 2026
The former provides access to rare earth ores, and the latter can process ores into usable products.
From Barron's • May 13, 2026
Additionally, Intel has reportedly improved its chip yield, or the amount of usable chips it can get from one wafer, and that “is a critical metric for any foundry,” he added.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 29, 2026
But operational constraints, safety limits and geography mean much of that space might not be usable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
It makes my arm ache and a mess on the floor, but the table is still usable, if propped just right against the wall, and now there’s wood in the stove.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
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.
