variant of -able, occurring in words borrowed from Latin (credible; horrible; visible), or modeled on the Latin type (reducible).
Origin
< Latin-ibil(is) or -ībil(is), equivalent to -i- or -ī- thematic vowel + -bilis -ble
Related Words
feasible
ostensible
-able
-ibility
-ibly
accessible
-iblevariant of -able, occurring in words taken from the Latin, as in credible, horrible, legible, visible, or modelled on the Latin type as addible (for addable), reducible.
[Middle English -ible, from Old French, from Latin -ibilis, variant of -bilis after consonant stems. See -ble]
-ible ⇨ see -able
-ible
/əbl/
suffix
forming adjectives [构成形容词]
1.
able to be
表示“能(被)…的”:
audible
defensible.
2.
suitable for being
表示“适合(被)…的”:
reversible
edible.
3.
causing
表示“引起…的”:
terrible
horrible.
4.
having the quality to
表示“有…性的”:
descendible
passible.
词源
from French -ible or Latin -ibilis.
-iblethe form of the suffix -ble, representing L. -ĭbilis, formed from Latin consonantal stems (verbal or participial) and some e-stems, and -ībilis from i-stems; as leg-ible, poss-ible, vis-ible, flex-ible, permiss-ible, terr-ible, aud-ible. Often displaced by -able in words that have come through French, or that are looked upon as formed immediately on an Eng. verb. as refer-able, ten-able, readmitt-able, convert-able, divid-able.
-ible
suffix forming adjectives from verbs, borrowed in Middle English from Old French -ible and directly from Latin -ibilis; see -able.
☞ -able, -ible
-ible/ɪb(ə)l/suffix.
ORIGIN: from Latin-ibilis adjectival suffix, the form taken by the suffix -bilis (see -ble) when added to Latin consonantal stems (verbal or ppl) and some e- and i- stems.
Forming adjectives with the senses ‘able to be, suitable for being’, as audible, compressible, edible, and (formerly) ‘able to, causing’, as horrible, passible, terrible. Freq. displaced by -able in words that have come through French, or that are looked on as formed directly on an English verb.
-ible
suffix added to verbs to form adjectives. that can be _____ed; able to be _____ed: Divisible = that can be divided. Perfectible = that can be perfected. Reducible = that can be reduced.
[< Latin -ibilis,-ībilis, a suffix forming adjectives from verbs with infinitives in -ēre,-ere,-īre, being one form of the suffix -bilis]
-ible — see -able
-ible 1
-able (productive)
Suffix
An adjective suffix, now usually in a passive sense; forms adjectives meaning:
able to be
relevant or suitable to, in accordance with
expressing capacity or worthiness in a passive sense
convertible
Etymology
From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin-ibilis.
Usage notes
The form -able is used in the same sense and is pronounced the same.
Generally not productive in English – most words ending in -ible are borrowed from Latin, or Old or Middle French, while -able is more common for producing new words. Examples of production in English include collectible.
In general, forms derived from Latin verbs of the second, third, and fourth conjugations take -ible, as well as a few words whose roots end in a soft c or g. All other words take -able, particularly words from the Latin first conjugation, words that evolved through French, and words from Anglo-Saxon.
Fowler, in his English Usage, recommended using -ible for simplicity in spelling with any verb whose root ends in a soft c or g (such as changible vs. changeable), but this recommendation has generally not been followed.
Adjectives ending in -ible are occasionally nominalized, as in dirigible, foible, submersible. The adjective sense may become obsolete, as in foible.
A few words end in “ible” but are not related to this suffix, instead being of different origin, generally a similar Latin suffix. Examples include crucible and mandible. See Etymology 2, below, for details.
Derived terms
-ibly
accessible
admissible
alible
apprehensible
audible
collectible
combustible
comestible
compatible
comprehensible
compressible
concupiscible
contemptible
convertible
corrigible
corruptible
credible
deductible
defeasible
defensible
destructible
diffusible
digestible
dirigible
discernible
distensible
divisible
edible
eligible
emulsible
expansible
extensible
fallible
feasible
flexible
foible
forcible
frangible
fungible
fusible
gullible
horrible
illegible
immersible
immiscible
impartible
impassible
imperceptible
impermissible
implausible
impossible
impressible
inaccessible
inadmissible
inaudible
incoercible
incombustible
incompatible
incomprehensible
incompressible
incontrovertible
inconvertible
inconvincible
incorrigible
incorruptible
incredible
indefeasible
indefectible
indefensible
indelible
indestructible
indigestible
indiscernible
indivisible
inedible
ineligible
inexhaustible
inexpressible
inextensible
infallible
infeasible
inflexible
infrangible
infusible
insensible
insuppressible
insusceptible
intangible
intelligible
invincible
invisible
irascible
irreducible
irrefrangible
irremissible
irrepressible
irresistible
irresponsible
irreversible
legible
miscible
negligible
nondeductible
omissible
ostensible
partible
passible
perceptible
perfectible
permissible
persuasible
plausible
plug-compatible
possible
prescriptible
putrescible
refrangible
remissible
reprehensible
resistible
responsible
reversible
risible
runcible spoon
self-compatible
self-incompatible
semiflexible
semisubmersible
sensible
submergible
submersible
suggestible
supersensible
susceptible
tangible
tax-deductible
terrible
transmissible
unintelligible
unsusceptible
vendible
vincible
visible
See also
able
Category:English unproductive suffixes
-ible 2
Suffix
An instrumental suffix; forms nouns representing:
a tool or instrument.
crucible
mandible
thurible
a place or location
vestible
Etymology
From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin-i- + -bulum (“instrumental suffix”) or -bula (“instrumental suffix”), from Proto-Indo-European*-dʰlom (“instrumental suffix”). Related to Latin suffixes -brum (candelabrum) and -bra (vertebra).
Usage notes
This use of -ible and its related form -able are not productive in English. Confusion may arise from mistaking nouns ending with these suffixes as being forms derived from the adjectival suffixes mentioned in Etymology 1 above.
Derived terms
crucible
mandible
thurible
vestible, vestibule
后缀:-ible [形容词后缀]
表示“可...的”、“能,,,”、“易...的”或具有某种性质的
sensible 可感觉的
recptible 可接受的
resistible 可抵抗的
corruptible 易腐败的
flexible 易弯曲的
convertible 可变换的
conductible 能(被)传导的
producible 可生产的
extensible 可伸展的
perfectible 可完成的
digestible 可消化的
accessible 可接近的
词根词缀:-ible
【来源及含义】Latin: a suffix; can be done, worthy of being, able to be, tending to, capacity for