opposable

adjective

op·pos·able ə-ˈpō-zə-bəl

: capable of being opposed or resisted

: capable of being placed against one or more of the remaining digits of a hand or foot

the opposable human thumb

opposability

ə-ˌpō-zə-ˈbi-lə-tē

noun

Example Sentences

Humans have an opposable thumb.

Recent Examples on the Web Who needs an opposable thumb, anyway? Environment Science SHARE Unlike most primates, elephants will happily munch on a banana without removing its peel. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 10 Apr. 2023 Unlike thumbs, big toes are not opposable. —

Willard Spiegelman, WSJ, 23 Oct. 2020 But, the monkeys with opposable thumbs were duped. —

Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 4 Apr. 2023 Our species owes a lot to opposable thumbs. —

Quanta Magazine, 10 Feb. 2022 Evidence for this early development of hands like ours, with opposable thumbs and the ability to apply force in either a strong or delicate grasp, comes from a single metacarpal bone—one of the bones that forms the palm—for a hominin found at a site in Kenya. —

Anna Goldfield, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Aug. 2021 It’s been said that stories were crucial to our development as people— more so than opposable thumbs. —

Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 Similar to how certain traits from ancient humans, like bipedal walking and opposable thumbs, were passed along to much of today’s population, viruses evolve to favor characteristics that aid in their survival — a process known as natural selection. —

Molly Glick, Discover Magazine, 29 Sep. 2021 For instance, researchers believe these sequences are behind the development of the uterus and also of our opposable thumbs. —

Daniel Bastardo Blanco, Discover Magazine, 13 Aug. 2019 See More

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