openable

openable — adjective

  • openablepositive
  • more openablecomparative
  • most openablesuperlative

1. describes something that is designed or built so that a person can open it, for

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes something that is designed or built so that a person can open it, for example a container, window, door, or package.

Example

Asher checked that the emergency exit was openable from the inside before the meeting began.

predicative use after 'be'

All the windows in the new classroom are openable, so fresh air reaches every corner.

Common collocations
  • easily openable
  • fully openable
  • openable window
  • openable lid
  • openable door
  • openable from the outside / inside
Synonyms
  • unlockable

    specifically means a lock can be undone; narrower than openable

  • accessible

    focuses on being reachable or available to enter, not on the physical act of opening

Antonyms
  • sealed

    cannot be opened without breaking or cutting

  • fixed

    permanently shut by design, not intended to be opened

Grammar Patterns

be openable

openable + noun

Usage Note

This word is most common in product descriptions and technical contexts. It contrasts with 'sealed' or 'fixed' — if something is openable, it was made to be opened rather than kept permanently shut.

Common Mistakes

This bottle is very openable' (when describing how easy it is).
This bottle is easy to open.
'openable' only tells you it CAN be opened by design, not how easy or hard that is.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Openable' describes anything made so that it can be physically opened — a window, a container, a door. 'Unlockable' is narrower: it means something has a lock that can be undone, but the thing may still need to be pushed or pulled open afterward. 'Accessible' is broader: it means you can reach or enter a place, but not necessarily by opening something (a park is accessible even if the gate is already open). 'Removable' means detachable, not opened — a lid that screws off is removable, but a hinged lid that lifts up is openable. For example, a locked suitcase is unlockable (you can undo the lock) and then openable (you can lift the lid).

openable ↗unlockableaccessible ↗removable ↗

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Formed in English from the verb 'open' (from Old English 'openian', meaning to unfasten or uncover) plus the suffix '-able', which turns verbs into adjectives meaning 'capable of being [verb]ed'. The word appeared in written English around the early 1600s.