Serviceable

//ˈsɝvɪsəbl̩// adj

adj ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Easy to service.
  2. 2
    Repairable instead of disposable.
  3. 3
    In condition for use.

    "I employed myself in making, as well as I could, a great many baskets, both to carry earth or to carry or lay up anything, as I had occasion; and though I did not finish them very handsomely, yet I made them sufficiently serviceable for my purpose..."

Adjective
  1. 1
    intended or able to serve a purpose without elaboration wordnet
  2. 2
    ready for service or able to give long service wordnet
  3. 3
    capable of being put to good use wordnet

Example

More examples

"The post-war economic development of vanquished nations can be rapid if they are not looted by the victors. For this there are two reasons. First, everything has not been destroyed: some things are merely broken; and a relatively small effort of rehabilitation is multiplied by the value of what remains serviceable. Second is the disabling of entrenched power structures, which often stand as a bar to progress."

Etymology

From Middle English servisable, from Old French servisable, from servise. By surface analysis, service + -able.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.