fungible

1 of 2

adjective

fun·​gi·​ble ˈfən-jə-bəl 

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 fungible

—George 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

ˌfən-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

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."

Synonyms

Adjective

• commutable
• exchangeable
• interchangeable
• substitutable
• switchable

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

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

Phrases Containing fungible

• non-fungible token

• non-fungible token

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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

: flexible sense 2

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