Analyzable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Capable of being examined or studied in a systematic way to understand its components or meaning
2. Permitting examination or evaluation that reveals both its components and implications can lead to a deeper comprehension of the subject matter
3. Able to be inspected or assessed systematically so that its parts and meaning can be understood clearly

Etymology: "Analyzable" is a plain formation: the verb "analyze" with the suffix "-able" attached, meaning "able to be" analyzed. The verb itself comes from Greek "analyein," meaning "to loosen up" or "to undo," built from "ana-" (up, back) and "lyein" (to loosen). The sense of breaking something down into its parts is where the Greek word started, and English picked that up when it adopted the verb. The suffix has a longer trail. It descends from Latin "-abilis," which turned verbs into adjectives meaning "capable of being," and reached English through Old French "-able." English speakers attached it freely to native and borrowed verbs, which is why it now sits on so many everyday words.

Synonyms: examinable, assessable, testable

Antonyms: incomprehensible, unexaminable, indeterminate