nonportability
|non-por-ta-bil-i-ty|
🇺🇸
/ˌnɑnˌpɔr.təˈbɪl.ə.ti/
🇬🇧
/ˌnɒnˌpɔː.təˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/
not able to be moved or transferred
Etymology
'nonportability' originates from English components: the prefix 'non-' (from Latin 'non', meaning 'not') combined with 'portability' (from 'portable', ultimately from Latin 'portare', meaning 'to carry').
'portable' came from Latin 'portare' ('to carry') → Late Latin 'portabilis' ('able to be carried') → Old French 'portable' → Middle English 'portable' → English 'portability' → modern formation 'nonportability' by adding the negative prefix 'non-'.
Initially the roots related specifically to physical carrying ('able to be carried'); over time 'portability' extended to technological and abstract contexts (software, rights), and 'nonportability' now commonly denotes lack of transferability in both physical and abstract senses.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the state or quality of not being portable; inability to be easily moved or physically carried from one place to another.
The nonportability of the heavy equipment required us to rent a crane for relocation.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
the inability to transfer software, data, rights, benefits, or features from one system, environment, or context to another (lack of software/platform or benefit transferability).
The nonportability of the application prevented it from running on other operating systems without major rewriting.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/15 19:27