Configurable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /kənˈfɪ.ɡə.ɹə.bəl/

Definitions

1. Suitable for alteration or modification to fit particular specifications
2. Able to be modified according to specific needs or preferences
3. Designed to allow changes or settings to be tailored by the user

Etymology: "Configurable" is a plain built word: "configure" with the suffix "-able" attached. The verb "configure" comes from Latin "configurare", meaning to shape or fashion together, built from "con-" (together) and "figurare" (to form, from "figura", shape). That gives the sense of arranging parts into a particular form, which is the root of the modern idea of setting up a machine or program. The suffix "-able" traces back through Middle English and Old French to Latin "-abilis", meaning able to be or capable of being. So a configurable thing is one that can be shaped or arranged into a chosen form. The word is most at home in computing, where software and devices are routinely set up to suit each user's needs.

Synonyms: customizable, modifiable

Antonyms: fixed, immutable