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.
Examples of flammable in a Sentence
Shawn Inglima, New York Daily News, 11 June 2025
That energy is distributed across hundreds of lithium-ion pouch cells, which are sealed in flammable electrolyte and separated by polymer films as thin as snack-bag plastic.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 June 2025
Dry air conditions in the aircraft cabin can also make fuel more flammable.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 27 May 2025
The real uncertainties in the bond market are lodged in the larger complexities and flammable preconditions resulting from highly leveraged speculative positions set to unwind on a hair-trigger.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for flammable
Cite this Entry
“Flammable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flammable. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.
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flammable
adjective
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