usable

or use·a·ble

[ yoo-zuh-buhl ]

adjective

1. available or convenient for use:

   2000 square feet of usable office space.

2. capable of being used:

   That saw is no longer usable.

usable

/ ˈjuːzəbəl /

adjective

1. able to be used

Derived Forms

• ˌusaˈbility, noun
• ˈusably, adverb

Other Words From

• usa·bili·ty usa·ble·ness noun
• usea·bili·ty usea·ble·ness noun
• usa·bly usea·bly adverb
• nonre·usa·ble nonre·usea·ble adjective noun
• non·usa·ble non·usea·ble adjective
• reus·a·bili·ty reuse·a·bili·ty noun
• re·usa·ble re·usea·ble adjective
• re·usa·ble·ness re·usea·ble·ness noun
• un·usa·ble un·usea·ble adjective
• un·usa·ble·ness un·usea·ble·ness noun
• un·usa·bly un·usea·bly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of usable¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French; use, -able

Example Sentences

An ExxonMobil spokesperson recently told ProPublica that the company’s chemical recycling process works, and that it has “processed more than 60 million pounds of plastic waste into usable raw materials, keeping it out of landfills.”

From Salon

“There were a number of hospitals that were intact but not usable. That’s better than a collapsed structure. But still not what you need at a time of emergency like that.”

From Los Angeles Times

Tata Steel is expected to remove the last usable liquid iron from blast furnace 4 on Monday afternoon.

From BBC

And the "usable operational capacity" - the total number of people a prison can hold while taking into account issues like control and security - was 89,619, leaving spare capacity of just 1,098 places.

From BBC

One Long Beach group is turning dead urban trees into usable lumber, while planting new saplings and providing work for the people society has left behind.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• accessible
• adaptable
• applicable
• convenient
• expendable
• functional
• practical
• profitable
• serviceable
• unused
• useful
• valid
• valuable