learnable

IPA/ˈlɜː.nə.bəl/
IPA/ˈlɝː.nə.bəl/

learnable — adjective

  • learnablepositive
  • more learnablecomparative
  • most learnablesuperlative

1. describing skills, subjects, or information that people can acquire through stud

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing skills, subjects, or information that people can acquire through study, practice, or instruction

Example

Basic cooking techniques are learnable through short online videos.

predicative use: be + learnable + through

Noor found that playing the piano is a learnable skill with daily practice.

attributive use: learnable + noun (skill)

Common collocations
  • easily learnable
  • quickly learnable
  • learnable skill
  • learnable subject
  • readily learnable
Synonyms
  • teachable

    more common for subjects and implies that someone can teach them effectively; also used for people ('a teachable student')

  • acquirable

    more formal, emphasises gaining through effort or experience over time

  • masterable

    implies reaching a high level of skill or knowledge, not just basic learning

Antonyms
  • unlearnable

    direct opposite; describes something that cannot be learned

  • unteachable

    more common in everyday use; can describe both a person who resists teaching and a subject that is too difficult

Grammar Patterns

be + learnable

learnable + noun

Usage Note

Often used with adverbs like 'easily' or 'quickly'. More common in educational or instructional writing than in everyday conversation — speakers typically use phrases like 'easy to learn' or 'can be learned' instead.

Common Mistakes

She is a very learnable person.
She learns very quickly.
'learnable' describes skills or subjects that can be learned, not a person's ability to learn.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe something that can be gained through effort, but they differ in scope and connotation. 'Teachable' is the broadest and most natural in everyday speech — a teacher might describe a grammar rule as 'teachable' if it can be explained clearly to students. 'Acquirable' is more formal and is often used for qualities or skills one develops through experience rather than formal instruction (e.g., 'patience is an acquirable trait'). 'Masterable' goes a step further, suggesting one can reach a high level of expertise rather than just basic understanding. For example, basic first aid is learnable; with a good instructor it is teachable; after years of practice emergency medicine is masterable, but it is never simply acquirable.

teachable ↗acquirablemasterable

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • learnable over time
  • learnable with practice

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinEnglish

Formed from the verb 'learn' (from Old English 'leornian', meaning to gain knowledge) + the suffix '-able' (from Latin '-abilis', meaning able or worthy). The word has been used since the 1500s to describe things that can be learned.