usable

adjective

us·​able ˈyü-zə-bəl 

variants or less commonly useable

1

: capable of being used

2

: convenient and practicable for use

usableness

ˈyü-zə-bəl-nəs 

noun

usably

ˈyü-zə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• available
• employable
• exploitable
• fit
• functional
• operable
• practicable
• serviceable
• useful

Examples of usable in a Sentence

Is any of this junk usable?

although the spade is usable as a snow shovel, it doesn't do a very good job

Recent Examples on the Web

Special editions can add 20 percent or more to the price, and cars from 1994 on—with the 1.8-liter engines—are the most usable in modern traffic, as every little bit of extra horsepower helps. —Robert Ross, Robb Report, 25 Apr. 2025

The usable length of the main runway was reduced to 1,660 meters to allow for safety zones. —Isadora Wandermurem, Time, 23 Apr. 2025

While still usable, that would relegate your Tesla 3 Long Range from its EPA-estimated 363-mile (584-km) range down to roughly 255 miles (410 km). —New Atlas, 23 Apr. 2025

Walls like these also create greater possibilities for your garden design, opening up plenty of usable space for plantings. —Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 18 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for usable

• diffusible
• excusable
• infusible
• reusable
• unusable
• fusible
• inexcusable

Kids Definition

usable

adjective

us·​able

ˈyü-zə-bəl

: suitable or fit for use

usable waste