-able

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-able

/əbəl/ Western
[əbl̩] Western
[əbəl] Western
/ˈebl̩/ India, North
[eːbɐl] India, North
/əbl̩/ India, South
[ɐbɨɭ] India, South, unstressed

Where it comes from

Inherited from Middle English -able, borrowed from Old French -able, from Latin -ābilis, from -a- or -i- + -bilis (“capable or worthy of being acted upon”), from Proto-Indo-European i-stem form *-dʰli- of *-dʰlom (“instrumental suffix”). Not closely related etymologically, though currently related semantically, to able. Displaced native Old English -endlīc (equivalent to Modern English -andly, -andlike), and Modern English -worthy.

suffix more -able · most -able · -ible

morpheme Able to be done; fit to be done. move + -able → movable (“able to be moved”)
morpheme Relevant to or suitable to, in accordance with. fashion + -able → fashionable (“relevant to fashion”)
morpheme Giving, or inclined to. pleasure + -able → pleasurable (“giving pleasure”)
colloquial, morpheme Inviting or encouraging a specified behavior. Near-synonym: -er (etymology 1, suffix sense 2)
morpheme Subject to. report + -able → reportable (“subject to be reported”)
morpheme Due to be. pay + -able → payable (“due to be paid”)

Translations

Every language

suffix able or fit to be done

Español	-able, -ible, que se deja
日本語	-られる -rareru
中文	可-
हिन्दी	योग्य yogya
Português	-ável, -ível
Français	-able, -ible
Deutsch	-bar, -abel
Italiano	-abile, -ibile, -evole
Ελληνικά	-ιμος -imos
Română	-bil
Русский	-я́емый -jájemyj, -а́емый -ájemyj, -и́мый -ímyj
العربية	قابل لـ qabil li-

suffix relevant or suitable to, in accordance with

Română	-bil

suffix inviting or encouraging a specified behavior

Deutsch	-wert

suffix due to be

Français	-able

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Cite this

MLA

"-able." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/-able. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

APA

-able. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/-able

Chicago

"-able." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/-able.

BibTeX

@misc{able_2026,
  title = {-able},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/-able},
  urldate = {2026-11-07}
}