disposable

1 of 3

adjective

dis·​pos·​able di-ˈspō-zə-bəl 

1

: subject to or available for disposal

specifically : remaining to an individual after deduction of taxes and necessary living expenses

disposable income

2

: designed to be used once or only a limited number of times and then thrown away

disposable diapers

Replace the disposable razor when the blade becomes dull.

disposability

di-ˌspō-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

disposable

2 of 3

noun (1)

: something that is disposable

disposability

3 of 3

noun (2)

dis·​pos·​abil·​i·​ty dəˌspōzəˈbilətē 

(ˌ)diˌs-, 

-ətē, 

-i

plural -es

: the quality or state of being disposable

the disposability of paper napkins is their great recommendation

Examples of disposable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

This travel-sized six-pack of disposable toothbrushes already comes with toothpaste and doesn’t need water. —Olivia Bria, Travel + Leisure, 10 June 2026

More recently, flexible, disposable ultrasound patches were developed to reduce manufacturing costs. —Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026

Noun

Environmentalists were also crusading against the landfill impact of disposables, with states like Nebraska passing legislation that required them to be made of material that decomposed quickly. —Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 5 Mar. 2026

Xolopak, established in 2014, makes biodegradable wooden cutlery and other sustainable disposables from ice cream sticks to paper containers. —Charlotte Hu, Time, 17 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (1)

1963, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing disposable

• disposable income

Rhymes for disposable

• decomposable
• indecomposable
• transposable

Kids Definition

disposable

adjective

dis·​pos·​able

dis-ˈpō-zə-bəl

: made to be thrown away after use

a disposable bottle

disposable diapers