feasible

adjective

fea·​si·​ble ˈfē-zə-bəl How to pronounce feasible (audio)
1
: capable of being done or carried out
a feasible plan
2
: capable of being used or dealt with successfully : suitable
3
: reasonable, likely
gave an explanation that seemed feasible enough
feasibility noun
feasibly adverb
feasibleness noun

Did you know?

Feasible and Doable

Feasible comes from faire, the French verb meaning “to do.” Doable and feasible therefore originally meant literally the same thing: “capable of being done.” Indeed, doable was formed with -able, the Latin-derived French ending meaning “capable of” combined, in this instance, with do, a word with roots in Old English and one of the most basic and useful of our verbs. Though their respective etymological meanings may overlap, doable and feasible exist more in parallel with each other than as true synonyms. As with most such pairs of words, the Latin-derived term is used when describing more abstract notions. The words most commonly modified by feasible include:

option

alternative

solution

plan

approach

These are words that describe what has yet to be decided or what will be carefully considered. By contrast, doable modifies more concrete terms:

task

thing

target

Feasible is used when an element of abstraction, distance, and technical specificity is needed. The more earthy doable is rarely used in formal writing, and is not found in the works of Shakespeare, the King James Bible, or any of the founding documents of the United States.

This abstract use of feasible also accounts for the word that expresses a putative, conceptual, or hypothetical state: feasibility. Indeed, we frequently encounter “feasibility study” but not “doability study” (although doability is a word that is sometimes used, it hasn’t yet been added to most dictionaries). As long as something is just an idea, it’s feasible. When it’s time for action, we need to find out if it’s doable.

Choose the Right Synonym for feasible

possible, practicable, feasible mean capable of being realized.

possible implies that a thing may certainly exist or occur given the proper conditions.

a possible route up the west face of the mountain

practicable implies that something may be effected by available means or under current conditions.

a solution that is not practicable in the time available

feasible applies to what is likely to work or be useful in attaining the end desired.

commercially feasible for mass production

Examples of feasible in a Sentence

Egyptian hieroglyphics … are also usually assumed to be the product of independent invention, but the alternative interpretation of idea diffusion is more feasible than in the case of Chinese writing. Jared M. Diamond, Guns, Germs, and Steel, 1997
… there do not appear to be any remedies for this situation that are at once politically feasible and likely to work. Richard A. Posner, Times Literary Supplement, 1 Sept. 1995
The '70s was the era in which it seemed more important, or more feasible, to reform our bodies than to change the world. Barbara Ehrenreich, Utne Reader, May/June 1992
The government has now made it feasible for tourists to spend as long as a month in the country … Fred C. Shapiro, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 1990
looking for a feasible way to create new jobs would it be feasible to build a cabin in so short a time?
Recent Examples on the Web The senior State Department official said that the Haiti National Police force remains in control of the airport, and that plans for the base are still feasible. Michael Wilner, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 The former president's legal team contended a fair trial would not be possible before the upcoming presidential election, but conceded August or September would be feasible should the judge decide to move forward. Robert Legare, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 The Mountain West, then, will use a one-year extension with Thomas & Mack to see when or if T-Mobile becomes available and whether a long-term deal is feasible. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024 At this point, that's not feasible, but Barton said the move gives the city time to figure out solutions. Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 29 Feb. 2024 However, circumstances can arise where completely severing ties isn’t feasible. Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Employers are supposed to change their workplace setups and procedures to bring down airborne exposure as much as is feasible. Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Conclusion Achieving success in the CPA exam is entirely feasible with dedication, smart planning, and the right resources. Bryce Welker, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2024 Such requirements limit the land available for turbines so much that wind farms are no longer economically feasible. Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'feasible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English faisible, feseable, borrowed from Anglo-French fesable, faisable, from fais-, stem of faire "to make, do" (going back to Latin facere) + -able -able — more at fact

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of feasible was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near feasible

Cite this Entry

“Feasible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feasible. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

feasible

adjective
fea·​si·​ble ˈfē-zə-bəl How to pronounce feasible (audio)
: possible to do or carry out
feasibility noun
feasibleness
ˈfē-zə-bəl-nəs
noun
feasibly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on feasible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!