ignitable

IPA/ɪɡnˈaɪtəbəl/
IPA/ɪɡnˈaɪɾəbəl/

ignitable — adjective

  • ignitablepositive
  • more ignitablecomparative
  • most ignitablesuperlative

1. describes a material or substance that can catch fire and start burning, usually

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describes a material or substance that can catch fire and start burning, usually when exposed to a flame or spark.

Example

Adina warned the workers that the dry hay in the barn was highly ignitable.

predicative use after 'be' with intensifier 'highly'

The factory stored all ignitable liquids in a separate, fireproof container.

attributive use modifying a noun ('ignitable liquids')

Common collocations
  • highly ignitable
  • ignitable liquid
  • ignitable material
  • ignitable waste
  • easily ignitable
Synonyms
  • flammable

    far more common in everyday English; same meaning

  • inflammable

    same meaning as flammable despite the misleading 'in-' prefix; sometimes avoided for safety labelling

  • combustible

    technical; emphasises that the material burns once started, often used of solids like wood or coal

Antonyms
  • non-flammable

    the standard safety-label opposite

  • fireproof

    stronger: resists fire completely, not just slow to ignite

Usage Note

Frequently used in formal safety, industrial, and regulatory contexts (chemicals, fuels, waste). Often appears as 'highly ignitable' or in fixed phrases like 'ignitable liquid' / 'ignitable material'. In everyday speech, 'flammable' is far more common.

Common Mistakes

The wet wood was ignitable after the rain.
The wet wood was not ignitable after the rain.
something soaked in water cannot catch fire easily, so 'ignitable' does not fit a damp object.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These four words all describe something that can catch fire, but learners need to keep the register straight. 'Flammable' is the everyday and safety-label standard — bottles, fabrics, gases. 'Inflammable' confusingly means exactly the same thing as flammable (the 'in-' is intensifying, not negating), and many safety bodies now avoid it because non-native readers misread it. 'Combustible' is more technical and usually describes solid materials that sustain burning once lit, such as wood, paper, or coal. 'Ignitable' is the most formal and least common; you mostly see it in regulations and hazard codes, often in fixed phrases like 'ignitable liquid' or 'ignitable waste'. So a warehouse worker says 'flammable solvents', a fire-safety report says 'ignitable liquids', and a chemistry teacher says 'wood is combustible'.

ignitable ↗flammable ↗inflammable ↗combustible ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • ignitable liquid
  • ignitable material
  • ignitable waste

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From the Latin verb 'ignire' meaning 'to set on fire', built on 'ignis' (fire). English took the verb 'ignite' in the early 1600s, then added the suffix '-able' ('capable of being') to form 'ignitable' — literally 'capable of being set on fire'.