English Reference
Adjective

reversible

adj.
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ɹiˈvɝsəbəɫ/ UK /ɹɪvˈɜːsəbəl/ re·versible Law Physics

adj.describing something that can be changed back to how it was before. You can also use it for clothes that can be worn with either side facing out.

adj.capable of being undone or returned to a previous state; in thermodynamics, describing a process that can be inverted without leaving any change in the surroundings.


SIMPLE

The damage to the car is reversible.

CONTEXTUAL

The court ruled that the decision was reversible if new evidence came to light during the appeal.

COMPLEX

In classical thermodynamics, a reversible process occurs infinitely slowly, allowing the system to remain in equilibrium with its surroundings throughout the entire transition.

Usage

Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'be' or 'seem'; also used attributively to describe garments or chemical reactions.

This myth is frequently weaponized to frame trans identities as optional or reversible.

Phys.org· 31 Aug 2026

Moreover, EMF is noninvasive, fully reversible and can precisely penetrate target tissues or areas of the body, making it highly attractive for remote control of gene switches," Kim explains.

Phys.org· 17 Aug 2026

Probably from Middle French, equivalent to reverse + -ible.

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

This entry
Origin frm -
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated