Bailable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Describing the legal condition that permits an individual to be released from jail by paying a specified amount of money to ensure future court attendance
2. Indicating a status that allows a person charged with a crime to gain temporary freedom by providing financial assurance to the court
3. Describing a situation in which a defendant can secure provisional release from custody by posting a financial guarantee for future court appearances

Etymology: "Bailable" is a plain formation: the adjective "bail" with the suffix "-able," meaning "able to be bailed." The noun "bail" came into English from Old French "bailler," meaning "to take charge of, to hand over," which descends from Latin "bajulare," "to carry a burden." That Latin sense of carrying and handing over explains the legal idea: a person released on bail is placed in the custody of a surety who takes responsibility for them. The suffix has its own journey. "-able" passed into English from Old French "-able," which came from Latin "-abilis," "-ābilis," used to form adjectives meaning "capable of being" the action of the base verb. English then attached it freely to native and borrowed bases, so "bailable" joins a long family of legal terms such as "triable" and "appealable."

Synonyms: releaseable, admissible

Antonyms: non-bailable, detainable