Main Entry: vi·a·ble

Pronunciation: \ˈvī-ə-bəl\

Function: adjective

Etymology: French, from Middle French, from vie life, from Latin vita — more at vital

Date: circa 1832

1 : capable of living; especially : having attained such form and development as to be normally capable of surviving outside the mother's womb <a viable fetus>
2 : capable of growing or developing <viable seeds> <viable eggs>
3 a : capable of working, functioning, or developing adequately <viable alternatives> b : capable of existence and development as an independent unit <the colony is now a viable state> c (1) : having a reasonable chance of succeeding <a viable candidate> (2) : financially sustainable <a viable enterprise>

— vi·a·bil·i·ty \ˌvī-ə-ˈbi-lə-tē\ noun

— vi·a·bly \ˈvī-ə-blē\ adverb