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- pronunciation:
- flae
m
bl
- features:
- Language Note, Word Parts
| part of speech: |
adjective |
| definition: |
able to catch on fire easily.
Dry leaves are flammable. |
| derivation: |
flammability (n.) |
Flammable and inflammable sound like they are antonyms, or opposites. In fact, they are synonyms, words that have the same meaning. Both flammable and inflammable mean "quick to catch fire and burn." You might see either word printed on a warning sign on a tank truck. If you want to describe something that is slow or not able to catch fire and burn, try "not flammable" or "fire-resistant."
The word flammable
contains the following part:
-able, -ible, -ble
Latin
adjective-forming suffix
that means capable of being, doing, or undergoing
  More about this word part:
The suffix -able
, and its variants, is attached to Latin verb roots or English transitive verbs to form adjectives. (In a small set of cases, -able
is attached to a noun, e.g. knowledgeable and marriageable.) For spelling purposes, it is useful to know that -able
is more likely to be added to a whole English word (comparable, adorable
), while -ible
is more likely to follow a bound root (visible
, legible
). However,there are still many words which combine a root with -able
(capable
, inevitable
). The suffix -ity can be added to any adjective ending in -able
, -ible
, -ble
to produce a corresponding noun ending in -ability, -ibility, -bility (possible
+ -ity > possibility; irrevocable + -ity > irrevocability.)
Example words:
acceptable, accessible, adorable, amiable, audible, biodegradable, capable, convertible, dependable, disagreeable, disposable, divisible, eligible, flammable, flexible, illegible, impossible, inaudible, incapable, incomprehensible, inconceivable, incredible, incurable, indivisible, inevitable, invaluable, invincible, invisible, irreversible, legible, likable, lovable, movable, notable, perishable, portable, possible, sensible, usable, visible, washable, affordable, reliable, remarkable, approachable, durable, renewable, sustainable
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