payable

adjective

pay·​able ˈpā-ə-bəl 

1

: that may, can, or must be paid

2

: profitable

Synonyms of payable

• unpaid
• outstanding

Examples of payable in a Sentence

She charges her patients $3,000, payable in installments.

keep the bills payable separate from the receipts

Recent Examples on the Web

Under the agreement, Drake Ventures will receive a $65,000 monthly retainer, payable in quarterly installments of $195,000, amounting to $780,000 a year. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

Zakat, for instance, is payable to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, the country’s largest Muslim lobbying group. — Mia Cathell, The Washington Examiner, 20 Sep. 2026

The trust fund the program relies on to help pay retirement benefits may run out in the fourth quarter of 2032, when 78% of benefits would be payable, Social Security's trustees projected in an annual report released in June. — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

It was expanded to apply to all player movements where compensation is payable, rather than just category one players’ movements. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing payable

• account payable

Rhymes for payable

• playable
• repayable

Kids Definition

payable

adjective

pay·​able ˈpā-ə-bəl 

: that may, can, or must be paid

accounts payable

Legal Definition

payable

adjective

pay·​able

: that may, can, or must be paid