foldable

1 of 2

adjective

fold·​able ˈfōl-də-bəl 

: capable of being folded (as for storage) : folding

a foldable chair

… as he wanders the country and the globe with just the clothes on his back, his expired passport, a debit card and a foldable toothbrush.

—David Hendricks

foldable

2 of 2

noun

plural foldables

: something that can be folded

Vertical rows of shelves hold all the foldables like sweaters and polo shirts.

—House Beautiful

especially : a device (such as a tablet computer or smartphone) that can be folded for storage

Foldables are increasingly becoming a normal part of the tech community. Just look at the handful of foldable smartphones around, so don't expect this trend to fizzle out anytime soon.

—Spy

Examples of foldable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Now’s the time to score an on-sale set, including a complete five-piece conversation set under $300 and a $90 foldable bistro set. —Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Jan. 2026

To help broaden the ability to test for exposure after catastrophic events, such as that which took place at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011, the HU researchers paired a radiochromic film known as EBT4 with a foldable portable scanner and a smartphone. —New Atlas, 28 Jan. 2026

Noun

Some early reviews have praised the device for its expansive inner screen, which makes movies and other video entertainment more immersive than on regular foldables with a squarer form factor such as the Fold 7 and Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold. —Chris Welch, Bloomberg, 27 Jan. 2026

Samsung typically holds its summer Unpacked Event in July to launch its flagship foldables, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Flip 8 expected this year, alongside new wearables. —Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

fold entry 1 + -able

Noun

derivative of foldable entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1648, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1904, in the meaning defined above