serviceable
adjective
ser·vice·able
ˈsər-və-sə-bəl 
2
: fit for use
a serviceable design
also
: of adequate quality
… her serviceable but not exceptional voice … —
Irving Kolodin
Irving Kolodin 
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Someone who speaks serviceable Spanish isn't fluent in it but gets by pretty well. A serviceable jacket is practical and maybe even rugged. But serviceable sometimes damns with faint praise. A serviceable performance is all right but not inspired. Serviceable curtains aren't the ideal color or pattern, but they serve their purpose. A serviceable pair of shoes is sturdy but won't win you any fashion points.
Examples of serviceable in a Sentence
I bought an old but still serviceable bicycle.
be sure to wear serviceable shoes if you're going to be walking on the rocks along the shore
Recent Examples on the Web
Alone, a Whiskey Sour without an egg white is a serviceable, if incomplete, cocktail.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 Jan. 2026
Those tools may be serviceable for traditional companies with predictable earnings and mature industries.
—Shane Goodwin, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Eller, meanwhile, has been a serviceable bottom-six center when healthy.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
During the past 10 years, five quarterbacks — Mitchell Trubisky, Kyler Murray, the late Dwayne Haskins, Lance and Richardson — have been drafted in the first round with less than 20 career starts at the college level, and only Murray has been serviceable among them.
—Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for serviceable
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Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 Jan. 2026
Those tools may be serviceable for traditional companies with predictable earnings and mature industries.
—Shane Goodwin, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026
Eller, meanwhile, has been a serviceable bottom-six center when healthy.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
During the past 10 years, five quarterbacks — Mitchell Trubisky, Kyler Murray, the late Dwayne Haskins, Lance and Richardson — have been drafted in the first round with less than 20 career starts at the college level, and only Murray has been serviceable among them.
—Miami Herald, 1 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for serviceable
Cite this Entry
“Serviceable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serviceable. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
serviceable
adjective
ser·vice·able
ˈsər-və-sə-bəl
1
: prepared for or capable of service : useful
2
: lasting or wearing well in use
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