opposable

1 of 2

adjective

op·​pos·​able ə-ˈpō-zə-bəl 

1

: capable of being opposed or resisted

2

: capable of being placed against one or more of the remaining digits of a hand or foot

the opposable human thumb

opposability

ə-ˌpō-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

opposability

2 of 2

noun

op·​pos·​abil·​i·​ty əˌpōzəˈbilətē 

-lətē, 

-i

: the quality or state of being opposable

Examples of opposable in a Sentence

Adjective

Humans have an opposable thumb.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And then there are those paws which, despite a lack of opposable thumbs, are remarkably agile. —Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 10 June 2026

Others, like a hoary line about cats being baffled by why people are always scooping litter, make no sense in a universe where cats have opposable thumbs and speak human language. —Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 18 Apr. 2026

But the hardware itself is rudimentary with pincer-style grippers that don’t have the grace of human-like hands with opposable thumbs. —Anna Tong, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2026

The Burtele Foot retained an opposable big toe, according to a press release by Arizona State University News, which would have assisted this early human in climbing, with longer, more flexible toes. —Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 30 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

oppose + -able

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for opposable

• decomposable
• disposable
• transposable
• indecomposable

Kids Definition

opposable

adjective

op·​pos·​able ə-ˈpō-zə-bəl 

: capable of being placed against one or more of the remaining digits of a hand or foot

the opposable human thumb

Medical Definition

opposable

adjective

op·​pos·​able ə-ˈpō-zə-bəl 

: capable of being placed against one or more of the remaining digits of a hand or foot

an opposable thumb

opposability

-ˌpō-zə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural opposabilities