fungible

1 of 2

adjective

fun·​gi·​ble ˈfən-jə-bəl How to pronounce fungible (audio)
1
: being something (such as money or a commodity) of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in paying a debt or settling an account
Oil, wheat, and lumber are fungible commodities.
fungible goods
2
: capable of mutual substitution : interchangeable
… the court's postulate that male and female jurors must be regarded as fungibleGeorge Will
3
: readily changeable to adapt to new situations : flexible
Managers typically use more than a hundred different lineups over the course of the season. Batting orders are so fungible that few players last long in one spot.Tom Verducci
fungibility noun

fungible

2 of 2

noun

: something that is fungible (see fungible entry 1 sense 1) : a good one part or quantity of which can be substituted for another of equal value in satisfying an obligation
usually used in plural
Fungibles may be valued by weight or measure.

Did you know?

Fungible—which derives from the Latin verb fungi, meaning "to perform" (no relation to the noun fungus and its plural fungi)—is a word that often shows up in legal and political contexts. Something fungible can be exchanged for something else of the same kind. For example, when we say "oil is a fungible commodity," we mean that when a purchaser is expecting a delivery of oil, any oil of the stipulated quantity and quality will usually do. Another example of something fungible is cash. It doesn't matter what twenty dollar bill you get—it's still worth the same amount as any other twenty dollar bill. In contrast, something like a work of art isn't fungible; a purchaser would expect a specific, identifiable item to be delivered. In broader use, fungible can mean "interchangeable," or sometimes "readily changeable to adapt to new situations."

Example Sentences

Adjective since fruits and vegetables are regarded as fungible in this diet, you are allowed a total of five servings of either or both
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Certain themes are underlined: the idea that identity is a fungible construct, and that our memories are nonlinear and untrustworthy. Megan O’grady, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2023 Right now there are billions of dollars worth of 18th-century Latin American fungible tokens laying on the sea floor waiting to be picked up. David G.w. Birch, Forbes, 12 June 2022 Those become very fungible. Dustin Dopirak, The Indianapolis Star, 11 Feb. 2023 But these examples are rooted in the fungible power of celebrity. Vulture, 22 Sep. 2022 The non-fungible Boone Ashworth. Wired Staff, Wired, 4 Aug. 2022 That is, of course, according to the somewhat fungible notion of what constitutes a view at Netflix. Andy Meek, BGR, 20 July 2022 But analysts have argued that some of these restrictions may be difficult to uphold, given that money is fungible and can pass from one part of a company to another outside of public sight. Ana Swanson, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2023 Some of those figures seemed fungible because there were no price tags. Curbed, 28 Sep. 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fungible.' 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

Adjective and Noun

New Latin fungibilis, from Latin fungi to perform — more at function

First Known Use

Adjective

1649, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1681, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fungible was in 1649

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Dictionary Entries Near fungible

Cite this Entry

“Fungible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fungible. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Kids Definition

fungible

adjective
fun·​gi·​ble
ˈfən-jə-bəl
1
: having such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another part or quantity to satisfy an obligation
2
: capable of being interchanged
3

Legal Definition

fungible

1 of 2 adjective
fun·​gi·​ble
ˈfən-jə-bəl
: being something (as money or a commodity) one part or quantity of which can be substituted for another of equal value in paying a debt or settling an account
oil, wheat, and lumber are fungible commodities

fungible

2 of 2 noun
: something that is fungible
Etymology

Adjective

New Latin fungibilis, from Latin fungi to perform

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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