Compatibles

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Referring to things that are capable of existing or functioning together without conflict
2. Describing items that share characteristics allowing them to work in harmony or be used interchangeably
3. Indicating elements that can coexist without issue, often enhancing each other's performance or utility

Etymology: "Compatibles" is simply the plural of "compatible", so it is the form of an adjective that has been turned into a noun for things that match or can coexist. The adjective itself has a surprisingly physical origin in Latin: "compati" meant "to suffer with", built from "com-" ("together") and "pati" ("to suffer"), the same root that gives "passion". The path into English ran through Anglo-Norman and Medieval Latin. In the Middle Ages, the Latin form "compatibilis" was used in Church law for a benefice, a paid church office, that could be held alongside another one. The sense was about things that could be held or endured together, and from there the idea of things that can exist side by side in harmony took hold in English.

Synonyms: suitable matches, compatible pairs, harmonious, well-suited, congenial

Antonyms: incompatibles, antagonists, opponents, dissonant, unlike