passable

adjective

pass·​able ˈpa-sə-bəl How to pronounce passable (audio)
Synonyms of passablenext
1
a
: capable of being passed, crossed, or traveled on
passable roads
b
: capable of being freely circulated
2
: good enough : adequate
passably adverb

Examples of passable in a Sentence

The main road is passable but most others are still covered with snow. The river is passable during the summer months. He did a passable job with the assignment. She plays passable golf but prefers tennis.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Pedestrians are reminded to keep sidewalks passable and get out of the way of emergency vehicles. Adam Harrington, CBS News, 26 Mar. 2026 In barely three years, AI has gone from a novelty that could write passable college essays to a technology that can generate lifelike video, clone human voices, and write software code so effectively that people with no programming experience are building apps on their own. Andrew Rasiej, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2026 Though neither Baker nor Bobby Cannavale (Boardwalk Empire) is especially memorable as a thread in our heroine’s domestic tapestry, each does passable work in his supporting role. Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026 That effort has grown into a statewide adaptive assessment program, with more than 150 miles of trail now designated as adaptive-friendly or adaptive-optimized, meaning either safely passable or purpose-built for adaptive bikes. Tim Neville, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for passable

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of passable was in the 15th century

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Cite this Entry

“Passable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passable. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

passable

adjective
pass·​able ˈpas-ə-bəl How to pronounce passable (audio)
1
: capable of being passed, crossed, or traveled on
passable roads
2
: barely good enough : tolerable
a passable imitation
passably adverb

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