returnable

American  

[ri-tur-nuh-buhl] / rɪˈtɜr nə bəl /

adjective

1. that may be returned.

   returnable merchandise.

2. requiring a return, as a writ to the court from which it is issued.

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noun

1. a beverage bottle or can that can be returned when empty for refund of a deposit.

returnable British  

/ rɪˈtɜːnəbəl /

adjective

1. able to be taken, given, or sent back

2. required to be returned by law, as a claim to the court from which it issued

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Other Word Forms

• returnability noun
• unreturnable adjective

Etymology

Origin of returnable

1375–1425; 1960–65 returnable for def. 3; late Middle English retournable. See return, -able

Explanation

Anything returnable can be sent or taken back. When you buy a returnable sweater at the mall, you have the option to take it to the store and get your money back if you decide you don't look good in purple. A returnable bottle is one that you can take back to the store and trade in for a little money after you've used or consumed its contents. And when booksellers carry returnable magazines, they can send the unsold copies back to the vendor for credit. When things are returnable, you are literally able to return them.

Example Sentences

They will be in glass bottles, but for the foreseeable future at least, they won't be returnable.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

“Any version of a 2020 rover mission that does not prepare a returnable cache would seriously delay any significant progress toward sample return,” it noted.

From Scientific American • Oct. 30, 2023

I buy milk in returnable glass bottles, and I take jars to places where I can get cooking oil in bulk.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2023

Small deposit charges might deter some people from choosing a returnable package, but it can also feel good to see that money returned, as if it's a kind of reward.

From Salon • Jun. 25, 2023

They were interchangeable from base to base, like returnable bottles.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy