potable

po·ta·ble | \ ˈpō-tə-bəl

How to pronounce potable (audio)

, military often ˈpä- \

Definition of potable

(Entry 1 of 2)

: suitable for drinking

potable

Definition of potable (Entry 2 of 2)

: a liquid that is suitable for drinking especially : an alcoholic beverage

Other Words from potable Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about potable

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of potable in a Sentence

Adjective around here, the only potable water comes from wells Noun hid the potables in the back hall closet keeps the wet bar stocked with an array of top-shelf liquors, mixers, and other fine potables

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Low-income black neighborhoods are often disproportionately impacted by a lack of potable water and higher levels of environmental toxins and air pollution. — Sabrina Strings, Scientific American, "The Racist Roots of Fighting Obesity," 4 June 2020 Rahi and Brother are an altruistic man-robot duo who earned galaxy-wide celebrity distributing potable water and farmable land to those in need. — Cecilia D'anastasio, Wired, "Amazon's Crucible Magicks Gaming Clichés Into Something Fresh," 27 May 2020 Brazil's Congress passed an emergency plan for indigenous communities last week that would not only provide medical equipment and field hospitals but also potable water and food supplies that allow tribes to isolate themselves. — Shasta Darlington, Jose Brito, And Flora Charner, CNN, "Report: Brazil's indigenous people are dying at an alarming rate from Covid-19," 23 May 2020 There water ice seems to exist in abundance, ripe for extraction and conversion into oxygen, potable water and even rocket fuel. — Leonard David, Scientific American, "NASA Proposes New Rules for Moon-Focused Space Race," 21 May 2020 From there, the lake would be allowed to fill naturally, unless no rain is forecast in which case potable water would be used to fill the lake. — Jon Arnold, Dallas News, "Mesquite fish, turtles get new home during Palos Verdes Lake Dam project," 27 Apr. 2020 This new water-bottle filter borrows from the French press approach to ditch the straw and hand-pump systems for a push-press that will turn creek and lake water into 24-ounces of clean, potable water in 8 seconds. — T. Edward Nickens, Field & Stream, "11 Things to Take on a Canoe Camping Trip," 13 Apr. 2020 Madison Campground is home to 278 total sites; seasonal amenities include potable water, flush toilets, firewood and ice for sale, an on-site staff member or volunteer host, food storage lockers, trash and recycling collection services, and more. — Skye Sherman, Travel + Leisure, "Your Guide to Camping in Yellowstone National Park," 12 Apr. 2020 The returnees, some surely infected with the coronavirus when in Iran, cluster shoulder to shoulder in massive crowds on both sides of the crossing, where toilet facilities are primitive and soap and potable water are scarce. — David Zucchino, New York Times, "Fresh From Iran’s Coronavirus Zone, Now Moving Across Afghanistan," 26 Mar. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Indoor plumbing is sort of magical on its own, but a high-tech faucet may renew your sense of wonder about having potable water come directly into your house. — Popular Science, "High-tech faucet upgrades to get you flowing into the future," 27 Nov. 2019 Even in normal times, many natural places do not have modern amenities people might expect, like trash bins or potable water. — Chelsey Lewis, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Leave No Trace is about more than picking up trash. Here's what you should know before getting outside in Wisconsin," 2 July 2020 The inside of the bag will bead with potable condensation when left in direct sunlight. — Keith Mccafferty, Field & Stream, "The Ultimate Survival Guide to Finding and Purifying Water," 19 June 2020 Low-income black neighborhoods are often disproportionately impacted by a lack of potable water and higher levels of environmental toxins and air pollution. — Sabrina Strings, Scientific American, "The Racist Roots of Fighting Obesity," 4 June 2020 Geopress by Grayl Hand-pump purifiers are slow, ache-inducing gadgets that can take one minute to produce about 2.5 quarts of potable water. — Popular Science, "The 10 most thrilling recreation innovations of 2019," 3 Dec. 2019 The deal still lets the company withdraw groundwater if there’s a shortfall, when conducting maintenance, or when demand exceeds available potable or storm water supplies during peak user activity. — Time, "The Secret Cost of Google's Data Centers: Billions of Gallons of Water to Cool Servers," 2 Apr. 2020 By serving only Tequilas made from 100 percent agave, Bermejo treats his patrons to intoxication as well as a show, a potable chronicling of the life and afterlife of the agave itself. — Ali Bouzari, SFChronicle.com, "Housemade: How Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant highlights quality Tequila in its margaritas," 30 Dec. 2019 According to the Public Authority for Water, the desalination plants supply 86% of Oman’s potable water. — Ian James, azcentral, "Ancient aqueducts in Oman imperiled by modern wells and climate change," 28 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'potable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about potable

Dictionary Entries near potable

Statistics for potable

Last Updated

9 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Potable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/potable. Accessed 3 Aug. 2020.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for potable

potable

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of potable

technical : safe to drink

See the full definition for potable in the English Language Learners Dictionary

potable

po·ta·ble | \ ˈpōt-ə-bəl

\

Medical Definition of potable

(Entry 1 of 2)

: suitable for drinking potable water

potable

Medical Definition of potable (Entry 2 of 2)

: a liquid that is suitable for drinking especially : an alcoholic beverage

Keep scrolling for more

WORD OF THE DAY

risible

Listen to the pronunciation of risible

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

July 2020 Words of the Day Quiz

Which is a synonym of mien?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.