flammability

noun

flam·​ma·​bil·​i·​ty ˌfla-mə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce flammability (audio)
: ability to support combustion
especially : a high capacity for combustion

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web But this year’s heavy snow and wind also brought down trees and branches, which could add to the flammability of forests under the right weather conditions, said fire meteorologist Brent Wachter with Predictive Services Northern California Operations. Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2023 An ammonia leak poses dangers because of the chemical's flammability, Fire Chief George McAteer explained, as well as its potential to cause respiratory symptoms and irritation to the nose and throat if a person comes in contact with polluted air. Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 12 Feb. 2023 All of the 100% polyester children's robes were sold on Amazon.com between August 2020 through August 2022 and were recalled because the robes fail to meet the federal flammability standards for children’s sleepwear, posing a risk of burn injuries to children, the agency said. Mike Snider, USA TODAY, 4 Feb. 2023 These were recalled in July 2022because the fabric playhouses and play tents fail to meet industry flammability standards. Parija Kavilanz, CNN, 17 Nov. 2022 Today, the forest's stewards are managing multiple uses of the Pine Barrens while introducing prescribed burns to reduce the landscape's flammability (a similarly daunting challenge for land managers in the Southwest). Keith Kloor, Discover Magazine, 2 Dec. 2013 Flame retardants, as their name suggests, are added to products and building materials to reduce the risk of fire — and meet certain flammability standards. Alex Orlando, Discover Magazine, 25 Oct. 2019 Seats with this designation have conditions to meet for crashworthiness, flammability and buckle and release pressure, among other things. Rachel Rothman, Good Housekeeping, 13 Jan. 2023 But Australia’s flammability has made a virtue of necessity. Julie Cart, Discover Magazine, 9 Apr. 2022 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of flammability was in 1646

Dictionary Entries Near flammability

Cite this Entry

“Flammability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flammability. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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