merchantable

/ˈmɜːtʃəntəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmɜːrtʃəntəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmər-chən-tə-bəl/ (ame, mw)

merchantable — adjective

  • merchantablepositive
  • more merchantablecomparative
  • most merchantablesuperlative

1. describing goods that meet the basic standards of quality expected when they are

1.形容詞C1
釋義

describing goods that meet the basic standards of quality expected when they are sold — strong enough, safe enough, and useful enough for the ordinary purposes a buyer would expect.

例句

The contract guaranteed that every shipment of timber would arrive in merchantable condition.

collocation: merchantable condition (most common pattern)

Nila refused the cracked tiles because they were not merchantable under warehouse rules.

predicative use: be (not) merchantable

同義詞
  • salable

    near-synonym; American spelling; slightly broader use outside legal text

  • marketable

    overlaps but emphasises demand and appeal, not quality fitness

  • saleable

    British spelling of salable; same meaning

反義詞
  • defective

    highlights what makes goods fail the merchantable standard

  • unsalable

    broader opposite covering both quality and demand failure

文法句型

merchantable + noun

be merchantable

用法筆記

Almost always appears in legal or commercial writing — sales contracts, warranties, and consumer-protection statutes. Distinguish from 'marketable', which means easy to sell because demand exists; 'merchantable' means fit to sell because quality is sufficient.

常見錯誤

❌The new phone is very merchantable, so it sells fast.
✅The new phone is very marketable, so it sells fast.
💡'merchantable' is about quality fitness, not consumer demand.
❌Esme has a merchantable personality for sales work.
✅Esme has a marketable personality for sales work.
💡'merchantable' applies to goods, not people.