English Reference
Adjective

passable

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈpæsəbəɫ/ UK /pˈɑːsəbəl/ pass·able Sociology

adj.good enough to be accepted, even if it is not perfect. You use this to describe something that meets a basic standard.

adj.satisfactory or adequate for a specific purpose, though not necessarily excellent. Often used to describe performance, quality, or appearance that meets a minimum threshold.


SIMPLE

The student's essay was passable, but it lacked depth.

CONTEXTUAL

The temporary bridge was only passable for small cars until the new one was finished next month.

COMPLEX

While the translation was technically accurate, the prose felt passable at best, failing to capture the lyrical quality of the original text.

Roads are passable only as far as Nuwakot, and some sections of highway linking Kathmandu to the hardest-hit areas remain completely blocked .

UN News· 31 Aug 2026

In particular, this makes it possible to draw conclusions about how passable a road is under changing conditions—such as during extreme weather events.

Phys.org· 2 Sept 2026

From French passable, equivalent to pass + -able.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin French passable
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated