adjective
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capable of being treated by a surgical operation
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capable of being operated
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capable of being put into practice
Other Word Forms
- nonoperable adjective
- operability noun
- operably adverb
Etymology
Origin of operable
1640–50; < Late Latin operābilis, equivalent to operā ( rī ) to work + -bilis -ble
Explanation
Anything operable can be used, or it can be operated on. Now that you've replaced the flat tire on your bike, it's operable. And that boil on the tip of your nose? That's also operable (Whew!). Things that work or are ready to be of service are operable, like the vacuum cleaner that's been tuned up and has a brand new bag in it, your new waffle iron that you've seasoned and plugged in, or the mayor's extensive plan for reducing homelessness. Another, much more medical way to use this adjective is to mean "able to be treated with an operation," like an operable knee problem or operable skin cancer.
Vocabulary lists containing operable
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She is now back in chemotherapy and surgeons say her cancer is no longer operable.
From BBC • Oct. 15, 2025
Had the reservoir been operable, it would have extended water pressure in the Palisades on Tuesday night, said former DWP general manager Martin Adams, an expert on the city’s water system.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2025
Currently, there are more than 90 licensed operable nuclear reactors in the U.S. that power tens of millions of homes, anchor local communities, and actually account for half of the country's clean energy electricity production.
From Science Daily • May 24, 2024
The LA County Sheriff’s Department currently has only 23 operable buses out of a total of 82, and there have been days when as few as six were running, supervisors said.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 21, 2024
Minutes into this process, I found that of seven shower cells, only two were operable.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
