ENGLISH
REFERENCE

edible

n.
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈɛdəbəɫ// UK //ˈɛdəbəl// ed·i·ble

n. safe or good enough to eat. You use this to describe things that are not poisonous and can be digested.

n. fit to be eaten as food; non-toxic and safe for human consumption.


SIMPLE

Many wild mushrooms are not edible and can be dangerous.

CONTEXTUAL

The chef decorated the wedding cake with edible flowers that were grown specifically for cooking.

COMPLEX

While the berries of the plant are technically edible, their bitter taste and tough texture make them unappealing for most culinary applications.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From Late Latin edibilis, from Latin edō (“eat”). Doublet of eatable.

Usage

Typically used as a predicative adjective after a linking verb or as an attributive adjective before a noun.

Pitfall

The food was very eatable.The food was edible.While 'eatable' exists, 'edible' is the standard term for food that is safe to consume; 'eatable' often implies the food tastes good enough to eat.

© 2026 English Reference