Embraceable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Possible to be willingly accepted or welcomed by individuals
2. Able to be willingly received or adopted by someone
3. Suitable for being accepted with open arms or approval

Etymology: "Embraceable" is a plain formation: the verb "embrace" with the suffix "-able," meaning "capable of being" or "worthy of being" whatever the verb names. So an embraceable idea is one that can be embraced, and an embraceable person is one people readily take to their hearts. The suffix has a long ancestry. It descends from Latin "-abilis," itself built from "-are" verb endings with "-bilis," which meant "able to be." That Latin form passed into Old French as "-able," and English borrowed it in the Middle English period, when it became a productive way to make adjectives from verbs. English speakers then attached it freely to native verbs such as "embrace," which came into English from Old French "embracier." Because the suffix is so productive, "embraceable" is a transparent word: once you know the verb, you can read the adjective straight off it, which is why it reads as a coinage rather than an old term.

Synonyms: acceptable, lovable, huggable