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

And the sleek cordless design is portable and simple to maneuver around a yard. —Madison Yauger, People.com, 8 Dec. 2024

Specifically, that means either running a portable air purifier, which filters the air in a single room or area, or upgrading the air filter in your central HVAC (heating, ventilation and air-conditioning) system. —Marni Jameson, arkansasonline.com, 6 Dec. 2024

Noun

The rise of the portables flooded the market with relatively cheap flat-panel displays and cameras, lower-cost microphones, and chips fast enough to process audio and video. —Thomas Wiegand, IEEE Spectrum, 25 Aug. 2011

Right now, Best Buy has a really nice discount on a portable that boasts some smart design choices and a nice big screen, perfect for working on complicated spreadsheets on the go. —K. Thor Jensen, PCMAG, 6 Nov. 2024

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

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