recordable

IPA/rɪˈkɔːdəbl/
KK[rɪkˈɔrdəbəl]IPA/rɪˈkɔːrdəbl/

recordable — adjective

  • recordablepositive
  • more recordablecomparative
  • most recordablesuperlative

1. able to be captured, stored, or officially noted in a lasting form — for example

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

able to be captured, stored, or officially noted in a lasting form — for example, video, audio, data, or an event that is worth keeping a record of.

Example

Hassan checked whether the meeting was recordable under the new privacy rules.

be + recordable + under [legal framework]

Modern smartphones make every family celebration easily recordable in sharp detail.

easily recordable

Common collocations
  • recordable video
  • recordable data
  • recordable event
  • recordable moment
  • legally recordable
  • digitally recordable
  • easily recordable
Synonyms
  • documentable

    more formal; implies official paperwork

  • capturable

    less common; focuses on the act of capture rather than storage

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

recordable + noun

be + recordable

Usage Note

Frequently used in technical or legal contexts with specific criteria about what qualifies as 'recordable.' In everyday conversation, the simpler phrase 'can be recorded' is more common.

2. describing a disc, tape, or other storage medium that is empty and ready to have

2.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing a disc, tape, or other storage medium that is empty and ready to have data written onto it by a recorder or computer drive.

Example

Nora bought a pack of recordable DVDs to back up her wedding photographs.

recordable + DVDs / CDs / discs

Old cassette tapes are still recordable, but the sound quality is much poorer than digital.

Common collocations
  • recordable CD
  • recordable DVD
  • recordable Blu-ray
  • recordable disc
  • recordable media
  • recordable tape
  • blank recordable
Synonyms
  • blank

    broader; can refer to paper or forms, not just storage media

  • writable

    common technical synonym for recordable discs

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

recordable + noun [medium/device]

Usage Note

Commonly appears in technology retail contexts to distinguish between blank recordable media (CD-R, DVD-R) and rewritable media (CD-RW, DVD-RW). The '-R' in product codes stands for 'recordable.'

Common Mistakes

I need a recordable CD player.
I need a CD recorder / a CD burner.
'recordable' describes the disc, not the device that writes to it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Recordable' is the most general term for anything that can be kept in a lasting form — video, audio, data, or events. 'Documentable' is more formal and suggests official paperwork or written proof; you would documentable an incident in a police report but not a family video. 'Capturable' focuses on the act of obtaining content (e.g., 'a capturable image') rather than preserving it. 'Storable' is broader — it includes physical objects like furniture, not just information. For everyday recording of media or memories, 'recordable' is the right choice. For example: 'The concert was easily recordable on my phone' sounds natural, while 'storable' or 'capturable' would sound odd in that context.

recordable ↗documentablecapturablestorable

Common collocations

Nouns

  • recordable data
  • recordable media
  • recordable format

Adverbs

  • easily recordable
  • digitally recordable
  • legally recordable
  • fully recordable

Phrases

  • recordable and storable
  • recordable or rewritable

Prepositions

  • recordable under [a rule / law]
  • recordable onto [a medium]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from the verb 'record,' which traces back through French 'recorder' to Latin 'recordari' (to remember), formed from 're-' (again) + 'cor' (heart). The heart was seen as the seat of memory in ancient thought. The suffix '-able' was added in English to create the meaning 'capable of being recorded,' first appearing in the early 19th century. The technology sense (a blank disc you can record onto) emerged in the late 20th century with the rise of home audio and computer storage media.