Compatible

How to spell compatible

10 letters · 4 syllables

How to pronounce compatible

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does compatible mean?

1. adjectiveAble to exist, work, or be used together without conflict.

Compatible in a sentence

• The new printer is fully compatible with both laptops in the office.

• The couple realised they were compatible in almost every way.

Where does compatible come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word comes from the Medieval Latin compatibilis, formed from the verb compati, meaning 'to suffer with' or 'to feel together'. That verb joined com- ('together' or 'with') to pati, meaning 'to suffer, bear, or endure', the same root that gives us 'patient' and 'passion'. The original idea was therefore of things that could endure or coexist with one another without conflict. English took the word in the fifteenth century by way of Old French, and the early sense was about being able to exist together harmoniously. Over time it broadened to cover machines, software, blood types, and personalities that work well together, but the spelling preserves that Latin -ibilis ending rather than the more common -able, which is exactly the trap most writers fall into.

How the word is built

• com- (together, with)
• pati (to suffer, bear, endure)
• -ible (capable of)