Word
movable
Phoneticsmov·able
US/ˈmuvəbəɫ/
UK/mˈuːvəbəl/
Definition
adj. able to be moved from one place to another. You use this to describe things that are not fixed or stuck in one spot.
adj. capable of being moved or relocated; not fixed in a permanent position. Often used to describe physical objects or scheduled dates that can be adjusted.
Examples
“The office has movable walls to change the room size.”
“The festival is a movable event that takes place on a different weekend every year depending on the weather.”
“In the history of printing, the invention of movable type allowed for the rapid mass production of books, fundamentally altering the spread of information across the continent.”
Examples
simple
“The office has movable walls to change the room size.”
contextual
“The festival is a movable event that takes place on a different weekend every year depending on the weather.”
complex
“In the history of printing, the invention of movable type allowed for the rapid mass production of books, fundamentally altering the spread of information across the continent.”
Usage
Typically used attributively before a noun. When referring to holidays like Easter, the phrase 'movable feast' is a standard collocation.
Real-World Examples
“The movable type press was originally developed in China.” Etymology
From Old French movable. By surface analysis, move + -able.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/movable