neutralizable
|neu-tra-li-za-ble|
🇺🇸
/ˌnuːtrəˈlaɪzəbəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌnjuːtrəˈlaɪzəb(ə)l/
(neutralize)
make ineffective
Etymology
'neutralizable' originates from the verb 'neutralize', which itself comes from French 'neutraliser' and from adjective 'neutral' (from Latin roots); the adjective-forming suffix '-able' was added to mean 'able to be'. 'neutral' ultimately traces to Latin 'neuter' meaning 'neither'.
'neutralizable' developed in modern English by adding the suffix '-able' to the verb 'neutralize' (from French 'neutraliser' derived from 'neutral'), becoming used in technical and general contexts in the 19th–20th centuries.
Initially the root 'neutral' meant 'neither (of two)'; over time 'neutralize' came to mean 'to make neutral or to counteract', and 'neutralizable' now means 'capable of being made neutral or counteracted'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
capable of being neutralized; able to be made chemically neutral or rendered harmless/ineffective.
The contaminated water was neutralizable with a small amount of alkali.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/31 02:07