compatibility

[ kuhm-pat-uh-bil-i-tee ]

noun

1. the natural ability to live or work together in harmony because of well-matched characteristics:

   In earlier times, love and compatibility were not the main considerations in finding a suitable spouse.

2. the quality or fact of being in agreement; consistency:

   Her essay questions the presumed compatibility of capitalism and democracy.

3. Computers. the ability to be used with a certain operating system or piece of hardware or software without the need for special adaptations:

   Before installing the application, check the compatibility of your device.

4. the ability to function or be integrated with other parts of any system, whether biological or technical:

   Terasaki devised the first tissue-typing method to assess the compatibility of organ donors and recipients.

Word History and Origins

Origin of compatibility¹

First recorded in 1605–15; equivalent to Medieval Latin compatibili(s) + Latin -tās; compatible ( def ), -ty ²( def )

Example Sentences

The omens, in terms of character compatibility, don’t look instantly great.

From BBC

Sudha explains that the denial of a medical license is a matter of “accreditation and compatibility, a.k.a. America hates brown foreigners.”

From Los Angeles Times

“I designed the jazz-font default that’s included in the latest version of Finale, and I included compatibility for the music-symbol fonts from Standard Music Font Layout.”

From Slate

AI can invent recipes based on the molecular compatibility of ingredients or whatever a kitchen has in stock.

From Salon

The reasons cited included security concerns, unexpected costs, performance issues, compatibility problems and service downtime.

From BBC

Related Words

• rapport
• unity