portable

1 of 2

adjective

por·​ta·​ble ˈpȯr-tə-bəl 

1

a

: capable of being carried or moved about

a portable TV

b

: characterized by portability

a portable pension

c

: usable on many computers with little or no modification

portable software

2

archaic : bearable

portably

ˈpȯr-tə-blē 

adverb

portable

2 of 2

noun

: something that is portable

Synonyms

Adjective

• mobile
• movable
• moveable

Examples of portable in a Sentence

Adjective

Portable devices such as MP3 players are becoming increasingly popular.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Her portable closet of gowns, catsuits and jackets has followed her across the U.S. and to Japan, Canada and Kuwait. —Bryan West, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2025

This sort of lens grade is highly unusual for any sort of portable projector, and should prevent such issues as yellow discoloration and deformation that can impact plastic lenses over times. —John Archer, Forbes.com, 25 Apr. 2025

Noun

The biggest draw on this portable is the full HD screen, which has wide viewing angles, great color quality and a blazing fast 144Hz refresh rate that keeps up with the RTX 4050 graphics card. —K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 25 Mar. 2025

All of the portables on campus are now gone, with the latest addition of a new classroom and administration building opened in 2023. —Karen Billing, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin portabilis, from Latin portare to carry — more at fare

First Known Use

Adjective

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

Noun

1708, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for portable

• deportable
• exportable
• reportable
• supportable
• transportable
• insupportable
• unsupportable

Kids Definition

portable

adjective

por·​ta·​ble

ˈpōrt-ə-bəl,

ˈpȯrt-

: possible to carry or move about

a portable computer

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English portable "capable of being carried or moved about," from early French portable (same meaning), from Latin portabilis (same meaning), from earlier portare "to carry" — related to portfolio, transport