# playable

/plˈeɪəbəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/playable
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. functional or usable

adjective · CEFR B2

describes something that is in a good enough condition to be played, like a musical instrument or a sports field.

For teachers: capable of being played; referring to the functional state of an instrument, sports surface, or medium.

- After the heavy rain, the referee checked if the football pitch was still playable.
- Despite its age, the antique violin remained remarkably playable after a professional luthier restored the bridge and strings.

### 2. enjoyable or well-designed

adjective · CEFR B2

describes a game that is fun, easy to understand, and works correctly.

For teachers: referring to a game's quality of being engaging, balanced, and technically functional for the user.

- The new update made the video game much more playable by fixing several bugs.
- Critics argued that while the graphics were stunning, the game was barely playable due to its convoluted control scheme and frequent crashes.

### 3. controllable character

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Technical

a character in a video game that you can choose to play as.

For teachers: a character within a video game that is available for the user to control, as opposed to a non-player character.

- The latest expansion pack adds three new playables to the roster.
- The developers decided to turn the popular villain into a playable in the sequel to satisfy the growing fan demand.

## Examples

- The old guitar is still playable after all these years.
- The developers released a patch to ensure the game was playable on older consoles.
- While the composition is technically demanding, the composer ensured that every passage remains playable for an advanced student without risking repetitive strain injury.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.