flammable
adjective
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Why Inflammable Is Not the Opposite of Flammable
Combustible and incombustible are opposites but flammable and inflammable are synonyms. Why? The in- of incombustible is a common prefix meaning "not," but the in- of inflammable is a different prefix. Inflammable comes from Latin inflammare ("to inflame"), itself from in- (here meaning "in" or "into") plus flammare ("to flame"). Flammable also comes from flammare. In the early 20th century, firefighters worried that people might think inflammable meant "not able to catch fire," so they adopted flammable and nonflammable as official safety labels and encouraged their use to prevent confusion. In general use, flammable is now the preferred term for describing things that can catch fire, but inflammable is still occasionally used with that meaning as well.
Synonyms
Examples of flammable in a Sentence
Marley Malenfant, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024
The fire was reportedly extinguished by 10 a.m., but the interstate remained closed due to the trucks highly flammable cargo.
—Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 22 Nov. 2024
Israel has used white phosphorus, a highly flammable chemical that ignites upon contact with oxygen, in violation of international law, devastating the area’s environment and agricultural land.
—Maha Yahya, Foreign Affairs, 20 Nov. 2024
Watertight compartments made the ship extremely hard to sink; and Gibbs obsessively removed the flammable wood that ordinarily would have formed much of the ship's interior decor.
—Steve Inskeep, NPR, 20 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flammable 
Dictionary Entries Near flammable
Cite this Entry
“Flammable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flammable. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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flammable
adjective
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