The Meaning of Feasible: What It Is and How To Use It

Have you ever wondered about the definition of feasible? This article will provide you with all of the info you need on the word feasible, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word feasible mean?

According to Collins English Dictionary and the American Heritage Unabridged Dictionary of the English language, the word feasible is an adjective that means able to be done, made or achieved. One can replace ible with different suffixes like bly and ty to form the different forms of feasible such as the noun feasibility (ˌfeasiˈbility), as well as feasibly (adv.). The pronunciation of feasible (adj.) is and feasible has three syllables – fea-si-ble. 

Many things can be considered feasible, including a feasible theory, feasible solutions, a feasible scheme, a feasible story, a feasible explanation, the only feasible way to do something, a feasible plan, feasible circumstances, and more.

Many different languages also contain words that mean feasible. You may notice that some of these translations of feasible look similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations of feasible is provided by Word Sense

  •  Russian: возмо́жный‎, выполни́мый‎, исполни́мый‎, осуществи́мый‎
  •  Hungarian: megvalósítható‎
  •  Hebrew: בר ביצוע‎ (bar bitzua)
  •  Dutch: mogelijk‎, haalbaar‎
  •  German: durchführbar‎, machbar‎
  •  Bulgarian: изпълним‎ (izpǎlním), осъществим‎ (osǎštestvím)
  •  Italian: fattibile‎, realizzabile‎
  •  Swedish: genomförbar‎, möjlig‎
  •  Manx: yn-jannoo‎
  •  Spanish: factible‎
  •  Kurdish: gengaz‎, mimkin‎, pêkan‎
  •  Finnish: toteuttamiskelpoinen‎, tehtävissä‎, mahdollinen‎
  •  French: faisable‎
  •  Japanese: 実行‎, 実現可能‎
  •  Greek: εφικτός [e̞fiˈkto̞s] (masc.), πραγματοποιήσιμος [praɣmato̞piˈisiˌmo̞s] (masc.), επιτεύξιμος [e̞piˈte̞fk͡siˌmo̞s] (masc.), υλοποιήσιμος [ilo̞piˈisiˌmo̞s] (masc.), πραγματώσιμος [praɣmaˈto̞siˌmo̞s] (masc.)
  •  Galician: factible‎, factíbel‎
  •  Catalan: factible‎
  •  Portuguese: possível‎, factível‎, viável‎, fazível‎
  •  Slovene: izvedljivo‎
  •  Danish: mulig‎
  •  Icelandic: mögulegt‎
  •  Serbo-Croatian: izvodljivo‎, praktično‎, primjenljivo‎, izvediv‎
  •  Ido: facebla‎, exekutebla‎
  •  Czech: uskutečnitelný‎ (masc.), proveditelný‎ (masc.), možný‎ (masc.)
  •  Norman: faîthabl’ye‎ (masc.) (fem.)
  •  Turkish: kılgın‎, mümkün‎, olası‎, yapılabilir‎
  •  Mandarin: 可行‎, 可做‎
  •  Romanian: fezabil‎, facibil‎ (masc.) (n)
  •  Irish: féideartha‎, indéanta‎, sodhéanta‎
  •  Polish: możliwy‎, osiągalny‎, wykonalny‎

What are synonyms and antonyms of the word feasible?

There are many different words that a person can choose to use in place of the word feasible. These are called synonyms, which are words that have the same meaning as the word feasible. Synonyms are useful words to learn if you are trying not to repeat yourself or if you are trying to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of synonyms of feasible is provided by Power Thesaurus.

  •  most likely
  •  within reach
  •  desirable
  •  perchance
  •  expedient
  •  advisable
  •  operable
  •  rational
  •  perhaps
  •  verisimilar
  •  weather permitting
  •  likely
  •  simple as abc
  •  can be
  •  realistically
  •  pie
  •  duck soup
  •  thinkable
  •  sound
  •  proper
  •  enforceable
  •  viable
  •  reasonable
  •  applicable
  •  realizable
  •  acceptable
  •  practicable
  •  might be
  •  possible
  •  realist
  •  able to hold water
  •  obtainable
  •  good
  •  could be
  •  realisable
  •  as it may be
  •  real
  •  can do
  •  plausible
  •  convenient
  •  helpful
  •  manageable
  •  piece of cake
  •  functional
  •  sensible
  •  credible
  •  possibly
  •  practically
  •  mayhap
  •  potential
  •  understandable
  •  sustainable
  •  impracticable
  •  conjecturable
  •  fitting
  •  conceivable
  •  snapper
  •  fit
  •  doable
  •  on deck
  •  imaginable
  •  suitable
  •  opportune
  •  executable
  •  available
  •  likeliest
  •  realistic
  •  attainable
  •  workable
  •  accomplishable
  •  believable
  •  feasibility
  •  practical
  •  achievable
  •  in the habit of
  •  profitable
  •  within the realms of possibility
  •  right
  •  accessible
  •  beneficial
  •  performable
  •  earthly
  •  practicability
  •  conceivably
  •  believeable
  •  advantageous
  •  it could be
  •  impossible
  •  probable
  •  securable
  •  maybe
  •  timely
  •  no sweat
  •  appropriate
  •  worthwhile
  •  tenable
  •  able
  •  usable
  •  within the bounds of possibility
  •  best

There are also a number of words that have the opposite meaning as feasible. These opposite words are called antonyms, which are another great tool used to expand your vocabulary. This list of antonyms of feasible is also provided by Power Thesaurus

  •  hopeless
  •  bull-headed
  •  dead as a doornail
  •  non-realistic
  •  ridiculous
  •  unacceptable
  •  unbelievable
  •  abortive
  •  without a doubt
  •  off
  •  dead as mutton
  •  as dead as a doornail
  •  unworkable
  •  antagonistic
  •  quite impossible
  •  unrealizable
  •  inappropriate
  •  unenviable
  •  not available
  •  over one’s dead body
  •  as dead as mutton
  •  impractical
  •  inoperative
  •  absolutely impossible
  •  come hell or high water
  •  be unfeasible
  •  wrong
  •  unfeasible
  •  okey-dokey
  •  it is clear that
  •  going for nothing
  •  unsuitable
  •  impracticable
  •  inoperable
  •  futile
  •  with no doubt
  •  impossible
  •  barren
  •  unusable
  •  infeasible
  •  unwanted
  •  unreasonable
  •  beyond a shadow of a doubt
  •  unprofitable
  •  undoubted
  •  unfitting
  •  fantastic
  •  absurd
  •  undoable
  •  virtually impossible
  •  improbable
  •  last
  •  inconceivable
  •  serving no useful purpose
  •  hardly likely
  •  over my dead body
  •  unthinkable
  •  dreadful
  •  at rest
  •  unpractical
  •  will-o’-the-wisp
  •  unattainable
  •  agonizing
  •  disadvantageous
  •  unappealing
  •  extremely difficult to believe
  •  totally impossible
  •  ineffective
  •  be unthinkable
  •  not for all the tea in china
  •  beyond all reason
  •  unpleasant
  •  implausible
  •  unavailable
  •  utterly impossible
  •  improper
  •  sentimental
  •  vain
  •  unproductive
  •  pie-in-the-sky
  •  disagreeable
  •  bullheaded
  •  nasty
  •  awkward
  •  nonrealistic
  •  beyond imagination
  •  unrealistic
  •  beyond reason
  •  beyond the bounds of possibility
  •  be impracticable
  •  not on your life
  •  unsustainable
  •  be unlikely
  •  preposterous
  •  beyond belief
  •  objectionable
  •  undesirable
  •  unlikely
  •  when hell freezes over
  •  less likely

What is the origin of the word feasible?

According to Etymonline, the word feasible has been used since the C15 Middle English. This comes from the Anglo-French fais, Old French stem of faire, and Latin facere.

How can the word feasible be used in a sentence?

The couple was trying to figure out if it could be feasible to live in Europe long term. The cities there had some of their favorite features, and they had easier access to cultivation for their respective industries. Plus, they loved the new look of the places they had never been.

Gloria, the scientist at Princeton University was trying to come up with feasible new sources of energy by studying Peregrine falcons and the Trafalgar square of pigeons. She tried to use this study as a demonstration of the ways we could live out the rest of our reality in a sustainable way, particularly in areas of the world where the electricity supply is not always guaranteed.

He tried to insist that he did not know about the recent events, but ignorance is not a feasible excuse in the world of social media. 

Overall, the word feasible means able to be achieved, done, or made, as well as believable. This word is French and Latin in origin.

Sources:

  1. Feasible definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary 
  2. feasible: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense 
  3. feasible | Origin and meaning of feasible | Online Etymology Dictionary 
  4. Feasible synonyms – 665 Words and Phrases for Feasible | Power Thesaurus 
  5. Feasible antonyms – 244 Opposites of Feasible | Power Thesaurus