palatable

[ pal-uh-tuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. acceptable or agreeable to the palate or taste; savory:

   palatable food.

   Synonyms: delectable, delicious

   Antonyms: distasteful, tasteless, unsavory, unpalatable

2. acceptable or agreeable to the mind or feelings:

   palatable ideas.

   Synonyms: satisfactory, pleasing

palatable

/ ˈpælətəbəl /

adjective

1. pleasant to taste
2. acceptable or satisfactory

   a palatable suggestion

Derived Forms

• ˌpalataˈbility, noun
• ˈpalatably, adverb

Other Words From

• pal·at·a·bil·i·ty [pal-, uh, -t, uh, -, bil, -i-tee], pal·at·a·ble·ness noun
• pal·at·a·bly adverb
• non·pal·at·a·ble adjective
• non·pal·at·a·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of palatable¹

First recorded in 1660–70; palate + -able

Synonym Study

Palatable, appetizing, tasty, savory all refer to tastes or aromas pleasing to the palate and in some cases to the olfactory nerves. Palatable has the least positive connotation of these terms, often referring to food that is merely acceptable and not especially good: a palatable, if undistinguished, main course; a barely palatable mixture of overcooked vegetables. Appetizing suggests stimulation of the appetite by the smell, taste of food, and is the only one of these words that can also refer to food pleasing to the eye: the appetizing aroma of baking bread; the table contained an appetizing display of meats, cheeses, and salads. Tasty refers to food that has a notable or especially appealing taste: mixed with bits of a tasty sausage; an especially tasty sauce. Savory refers most often to well or highly seasoned foods and applies to their appeal in both taste and smell: a savory, succulent roast of beef, spiced with slivers of garlic; the savory aroma of a simmering duck sauce.

Example Sentences

Gene editing seems to be a more palatable version of GM to some, arriving at a time when the debate is less polarised, the need for environmental solutions is even more urgent and there seems to be a greater readiness for some scientists and campaigners to see each other’s perspectives.

From BBC

What terrifies me is that no amount of media scrutiny can hold JD accountable; he thrives on controversy and relishes the challenge of making radical ideas seem palatable.

From Salon

Worse yet, some observers accused leading Democrats of cynically using the "middle class" as a palatable cover for neoliberal, corporate-friendly politics that worsened inequality and aimed to preserve the status quo rather than challenge it.

From Salon

Right-wing political activists saw an opportunity to bring evangelical voters together with Republicans, but they needed a different issue from racial segregation to make the affiliation more palatable.

From Los Angeles Times

The idea that bad things happen for bad reasons is more palatable than the belief that they happen for no reason at all.

From Slate

Related Words

• acceptable
• agreeable
• appetizing
• attractive
• delicious
• enjoyable
• pleasant
• satisfactory
• tempting