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

And context matters, like being moved out of bespoke training facilities and into portable cabins to accommodate the men’s senior team during last summer’s pre-season training. —Megan Feringa, New York Times, 19 May 2025

So the team at CERN built a two-meter-long portable containment device. —John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 19 May 2025

Noun

With extremely long battery life, this is a productivity portable that will get you through an entire day on the go, and the keyboard is a pleasure to use. —K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 19 May 2025

Many homes had televisions by that time, black and white portables mostly, but news consumption in the early 1960s was predominantly the domain of print media. —Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 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