viable

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˈvaɪəbəl/ See IPA manual

Freq #11817

Meanings

1

adj
Able to be done successfully; workable.

Solar power is now a viable option for many households.
2

adj
Able to live, grow, or develop normally.

Only the viable seeds were planted in the garden.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · able to be done... executable feasible practicable workable

Opposites

inviable

Word family

Derived forms nonviableviabilityviably

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

viable fetus
a fetus capable of living and continuing to develop

Adjective + noun

Simplified etymology

Viable is based on French vie, “life,” from Latin vita. Its literal sense is “able to live”; the broader meaning “workable” or “practicable” developed in the mid-19th century.

Etymology

Borrowed from French viable (further from Latin vīta), with semantic influence of Latin viābilis (“passable”).

*gʷeyh₃- Proto-Indo-European viable French

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities

External links

# viable

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈvaɪəbəl/
**Frequency rank:** 11817

## Meanings
1. Able to be done successfully; workable.
2. Able to live, grow, or develop normally.

## Examples
- Solar power is now a viable option for many households.
- Only the viable seeds were planted in the garden.

## Antonyms
- inviable

## Derived Forms
- nonviable
- viability
- viably

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʷeyh₃-
- Root: viable

## Etymology
Borrowed from French viable (further from Latin vīta), with semantic influence of Latin viābilis (“passable”).

## AI Etymology
Viable is borrowed from French viable (further from Latin vīta), with semantic influence of Latin viābilis (“passable”). The historical chain includes *gʷeyh₃- (Proto-Indo-European) and viable (French). The surrounding word family includes derived forms such as nonviable, viability, and viably. In present use it covers able to be done successfully; workable and able to live, grow, or develop normally.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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