foldable

1 of 2

adjective

fold·​able ˈfōl-də-bəl 

: capable of being folded (as for storage) : folding

a foldable chair

… as he wanders the country and the globe with just the clothes on his back, his expired passport, a debit card and a foldable toothbrush.

—David Hendricks

foldable

2 of 2

noun

plural foldables

: something that can be folded

Vertical rows of shelves hold all the foldables like sweaters and polo shirts.

—House Beautiful

especially : a device (such as a tablet computer or smartphone) that can be folded for storage

Foldables are increasingly becoming a normal part of the tech community. Just look at the handful of foldable smartphones around, so don't expect this trend to fizzle out anytime soon.

—Spy

Examples of foldable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Another Chinese manufacturer, Oppo, is expected to showcase its foldable Find N5 phone, one of the world's thinnest. —Sarah Lord, PCMAG, 28 Feb. 2025

The only meaningful technological innovation is a foldable phone called an Origami. —Maxim Loskutoff, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025

Noun

So this means this extreme thinness really only stands out if you’re used to Samsung or Google’s foldables. —Ben Sin, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2025

Starting today, February 12, 2025, Android customers can watch Apple TV+ on their mobile devices — phones, tablets, and foldables, whatever those are (just kidding, this is what those are). —Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 12 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

fold entry 1 + -able

Noun

derivative of foldable entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1648, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1904, in the meaning defined above