portable

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈpɔɹtəbəl/ UK /ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #11339

Meanings

1

adj
Easy to carry or move from place to place.

Usage: Portable describes something designed to be carried or moved conveniently. It often appears before equipment nouns, as in portable charger or portable radio.

We used a portable stove to cook dinner beside the tent.

A portable charger is handy when you travel.
2

adj
Of software: able to run on different types of computers or systems.

Java was designed to make programs portable across operating systems.
3

adj
Able to be transferred from one organization or job to another.

The new law makes your pension fully portable between employers.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

bathroom bearable carriablefieldablegrab-and-gohandcarriedportatileportativeshiftabletotabletransportable

Opposites

anchored fixed immobile immotile immovablelugsomenonportable permanent stationaryunportable

Word family

Forms portables

Derived forms airportablehand-portableheliportableman-portablenonportableporta-pottyportabilityportabilizationportablenessportablyportafilterportaledge

Related forms collapsiblefold-upfoldablefoldouthand-held loose move pocketpocket-sizepocket-sizedtransportable

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

portable computer
a computer designed to be carried easily between places

Adjective + noun

Etymology

Through Middle English and French portable, from Latin portābilis, able to be carried, related to portō and portāre, to carry.

*per- (fare) Proto-Indo-European portable Middle English portābilis Latin portare Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# portable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɔɹtəbəl/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɔː(ɹ)təbəl/
**Frequency rank:** 11339

## Meanings
1. Easy to carry or move from place to place.
2. Of software: able to run on different types of computers or systems.
3. Able to be transferred from one organization or job to another.

## Usage Notes
- Easy to carry or move from place to place.: Portable describes something designed to be carried or moved conveniently. It often appears before equipment nouns, as in portable charger or portable radio.

## Examples
- We used a portable stove to cook dinner beside the tent.
- A portable charger is handy when you travel.
- Java was designed to make programs portable across operating systems.
- The new law makes your pension fully portable between employers.

## Synonyms
- bathroom
- bearable
- carriable
- fieldable
- grab-and-go
- handcarried
- portatile
- portative
- shiftable
- totable
- transportable

## Antonyms
- anchored
- fixed
- immobile
- immotile
- immovable
- lugsome
- nonportable
- permanent
- stationary
- unportable

## Derived Forms
- airportable
- hand-portable
- heliportable
- man-portable
- nonportable
- porta-potty
- portability
- portabilization
- portableness
- portably
- portafilter
- portaledge

## Related Forms
- collapsible
- fold-up
- foldable
- foldout
- hand-held
- loose
- move
- pocket
- pocket-size
- pocket-sized
- transportable

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *per- (fare)
- Root: portable
- Root: portābilis
- Root: portare - to carry

## Etymology
Through Middle English and French portable, from Latin portābilis, able to be carried, related to portō and portāre, to carry.

## AI Etymology
Portable is from Middle English portable, from Middle French portable and Latin portābilis. By surface analysis, port (“to carry”) + -able. Important historical forms include Proto-Indo-European *per- (fare), Middle English portable, Middle French portable, and Latin portābilis. In present-day use, it can mean easy to carry or move from place to place, or of software: able to run on different types of computers or systems. Derived formations include airportable, hand-portable, heliportable, man-portable, nonportable.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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