palatable

adjective

pal·​at·​able ˈpa-lə-tə-bəl How to pronounce palatable (audio)
1
: agreeable to the palate or taste
The restaurant's chicken dishes are quite palatable.
2
: agreeable or acceptable to the mind
attempted to make physics palatable to a broader range of students
palatability noun
palatableness noun
palatably adverb

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How should you use palatable?

Palatable comes from palate, a word for the roof of the mouth, which itself comes from Latin palatum. The palate was once thought of as the seat of the sense of taste, so the word eventually came to mean "sense of taste," or broadly, "liking."

Choose the Right Synonym for palatable

palatable, appetizing, savory, tasty, toothsome mean agreeable or pleasant especially to the sense of taste.

palatable often applies to something that is found to be merely agreeable.

butterflies that birds find palatable

appetizing suggests a whetting of the appetite and applies to aroma and appearance as well as taste.

appetizing hors d'oeuvres

savory applies to both taste and aroma and suggests piquancy and often spiciness.

dumplings with savory fillings

tasty implies a pronounced taste.

a tart and tasty pie

toothsome stresses the notion of agreeableness and sometimes implies tenderness or daintiness.

an enticing array of toothsome desserts

Examples of palatable in a Sentence

a less than palatable beer I did not find the idea of moving again very palatable.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But of course Israel had alternatives, as the main advocacy group for family members of Israeli hostages in Gaza noted, albeit alternatives that were not particularly palatable to Israel’s leaders. Nicholas D. Kristof, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2025 Free agency doesn’t offer many palatable options due to cost and/or injury history. Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 6 Mar. 2025 That, however, doesn’t leave many palatable options left. Dan Pompei, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025 Still, officials at Munich Security Conference have said there is scope to negotiate a deal that is palatable to both sides. Karen Gilchrist, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for palatable

Word History

First Known Use

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of palatable was in 1662

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Cite this Entry

“Palatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palatable. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

palatable

adjective
pal·​at·​able ˈpal-ət-ə-bəl How to pronounce palatable (audio)
1
: agreeable to the taste
2
palatability noun
palatably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on palatable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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