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
• modular
• 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

Keep scrolling to shop more best-selling portable speakers that are on sale right now and rugged enough to go everywhere. —Clint Davis, People.com, 6 July 2025

Smart home tech and electronics: There are deals already available on Beats headphones and outdoor security cameras, portable outdoor speakers and new Amazon devices for your smart home. —Shelby Slade, AZCentral.com, 6 July 2025

Noun

For something a little less expensive, this Gigabyte portable still delivers a nice big screen, solid components and a comfortable keyboard for all your gaming needs on the go. —K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 25 June 2025

Lenovo's Legion Go S, on the other hand, is the first gaming portable explicitly designed to work with either Windows 11 (in hardware first released in January) or SteamOS (in hardware first released in May, alongside a new version of SteamOS designed for non-Valve AMD hardware). —ArsTechnica, 25 June 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