tractable

[ trak-tuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. easily managed or controlled; docile; yielding:

   a tractable child; a tractable disposition.

   Synonyms: governable, willing, manageable

   Antonyms: stubborn

2. easily worked, shaped, or otherwise handled; malleable.

tractable

/ ˈtræktəbəl /

adjective

1. easily controlled or persuaded
2. readily worked; malleable

Derived Forms

• ˌtractaˈbility, noun
• ˈtractably, adverb

Other Words From

• tracta·bili·ty tracta·ble·ness noun
• tracta·bly adverb
• nontrac·ta·bili·ty noun
• non·tracta·ble adjective
• non·tracta·ble·ness noun
• non·tracta·bly adverb
• untrac·ta·bili·ty noun
• un·tracta·ble adjective
• un·tracta·ble·ness noun
• un·tracta·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of tractable¹

1495–1505; < Latin tractābilis, equivalent to tractā ( re ) to handle, deal with (frequentative of trahere to draw) + -bilis -ble

Word History and Origins

Origin of tractable¹

C16: from Latin tractābilis , from tractāre to manage, from trahere to draw

Example Sentences

They’d take those objects — which may have been hard to study on their own — and break them into combinatorial pieces that were more tractable.

From Quanta Magazine

More inspiring is to say why the problem is in fact more tractable than it seems—as long as you believe that, of course.

From MIT Technology Review

That, Let’s Fund says, “makes this much more politically tractable than carbon taxes.”

From Vox

To avoid this problem, the researchers came up with several shortcuts and simplifications that help focus on the most important interactions, making the calculations tractable while still providing a precise enough result to be practically useful.

From Singularity Hub 

Theorists have explored these situations most thoroughly, in part because they are the only examples tractable with chalkboard mathematics.

From Quanta Magazine

The GOP donor class quietly favors the president's immigration ideas as a source of cheaper and more tractable workers.

From The Daily Beast

They were now quite tractable and never persisted in doing anything against our wishes.

From Project Gutenberg

The man grinned, and, though Alfreton remembered that he was not usually so tractable with him, proceeded to do Winston's bidding.

From Project Gutenberg

It was very tractable and gentle in its temper, and never took advantage of the partiality shown to it.

From Project Gutenberg

When in masses they are the quietest and most tractable workmen it is possible to have to deal with.

From Project Gutenberg

The Paca very easily becomes domesticated, and is very gentle and tractable, unless when much irritated.

From Project Gutenberg