askable

adjective

ask·​able ˈa-skə-bəl 

ˈä-

1

: fit or proper to be asked

… a question that Wordsworth took to be altogether askable, and which, indeed, he spent eighty-five lines answering—the question what happiness really is—soon looked to philosophers under Bentham's influence like a question whose answer was so obvious that it could not be asked in earnest.

—Martha C. Nussbaum, Daedalus, 22 Mar. 2004

2

: approachable and capable of being asked a question

I think it is important that you be an askable parent, so that he will know that he can come to you with any sort of question and that you'll give him a straight answer.

—Ruth Westheimer, Chicago Tribune, 14 Dec. 1995

Word History

Etymology

ask entry 1 + -able

First Known Use

circa 1650, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!