expendable

1 of 3

adjective

ex·​pend·​able ik-ˈspen-də-bəl 

: that may be expended: such as

a

: normally used up or consumed in service

expendable supplies like pencils and paper

b

: more easily or economically replaced than rescued, salvaged, or protected

expendability

ik-ˌspen-də-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

expendable

2 of 3

noun (1)

: one that is expendable

—usually used in plural

expendability

3 of 3

noun (2)

ex·​pend·​abil·​i·​ty ikˌspendəˈbilətē 

(ˌ)ek-, 

-lətē, 

-i

plural -es

: the quality or state of being expendable

Examples of expendable in a Sentence

Adjective

employees whose jobs are considered expendable

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Put another way, this rocket has put more mass into orbit than more than two dozen expendable rockets over half a decade of effort. —Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 8 June 2026

Play too fast, or too slow, and Ederson can go from essential to expendable. —Carl Anka, New York Times, 5 June 2026

Noun

Such is the suffering of the lowly expendables, but spoils of war for the oligarchy of greed and power. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 15 Mar. 2026

If the 49ers deem Jones expendable, the backup spot could go to 2025 rookie redshirt Kurtis Rourke, practice-squad prospect Adrian Martinez, or a potential reclamation project similar to Jones (2025) and Sam Darnold (2023). —Cam Inman, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

expend + able

Noun (1)

derivative of expendable entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1805, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1942, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for expendable

• spendable
• amendable
• commendable
• dependable
• extendable
• undependable

Kids Definition

expendable

adjective

ex·​pend·​able

ik-ˈspen-də-bəl

: normally used up in service

expendable supplies like pencils and paper

expendability

-ˌspen-də-ˈbil-ət-ē

noun

expendable noun

expendably

-ˈspen-də-blē

adverb