portable

1 of 2

adjective

por·​ta·​ble ˈpȯr-tə-bəl 

1

a

: capable of being carried or moved about

a portable TV

b

: characterized by portability

a portable pension

c

: usable on many computers with little or no modification

portable software

2

archaic : bearable

portably

ˈpȯr-tə-blē 

adverb

portable

2 of 2

noun

: something that is portable

Synonyms

Adjective

• mobile
• movable
• moveable

Examples of portable in a Sentence

Adjective

Portable devices such as MP3 players are becoming increasingly popular.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The package also includes Campfire Audio’s Pilot portable DAC dongle for use with devices like smartphones that may not have an analog jack. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025

But in a world where portable phones come in aluminum briefcases, that moment only exists in the memories of the people who were there. —Bill Prady, Variety, 3 May 2025

Noun

Many homes had televisions by that time, black and white portables mostly, but news consumption in the early 1960s was predominantly the domain of print media. —Eric Duvall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025

The biggest draw on this portable is the full HD screen, which has wide viewing angles, great color quality and a blazing fast 144Hz refresh rate that keeps up with the RTX 4050 graphics card. —K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 25 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin portabilis, from Latin portare to carry — more at fare

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1708, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for portable

• deportable
• exportable
• reportable
• supportable
• transportable
• insupportable
• unsupportable

Kids Definition

portable

adjective

por·​ta·​ble

ˈpōrt-ə-bəl,

ˈpȯrt-

: possible to carry or move about

a portable computer

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English portable "capable of being carried or moved about," from early French portable (same meaning), from Latin portabilis (same meaning), from earlier portare "to carry" — related to portfolio, transport