passably
|pass-a-bly|
/ˈpæsəbli/
(passable)
adequate or traversable
Etymology
'passably' ultimately originates from the adjective 'passable' in English, which comes from Old French 'passable', from Late Latin 'passare', where the root 'pass-' meant 'to pass' or 'to go by'.
'passably' developed from Middle English 'passable' (adjective) and the adverbial suffix '-ly' was added to form the modern adverb 'passably'.
Initially it meant 'able to be passed' or 'that may pass'; over time the sense shifted to 'tolerable' or 'moderately satisfactory', which is the primary modern meaning of 'passably'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adverb 1
to a moderate or acceptable degree; sufficiently but not excellently.
She plays the piano passably — good enough for amateur performances but not outstanding.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/02 09:11