Expressibility

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The capability of something to be conveyed or communicated clearly
2. Quality of being able to be represented or articulated effectively
3. The state of being able to put thoughts or ideas into words or symbols

Etymology: Expressibility is a plain formation: the adjective "expressible" (able to be expressed) plus the noun-forming suffix "-ity," which turns an adjective into a noun meaning "the quality or state of being" that adjective. "Expressible" itself comes from the verb "express," which entered English in the 14th century from Latin "exprimere," meaning "to press out," a physical image of squeezing juice from fruit. The "-ible" ending comes through French from Latin "-ibilis," meaning "capable of being." The noun followed the adjective into English, and it has long been used in technical settings, especially in logic, mathematics and philosophy of language, where writers ask whether a given idea or truth is expressible in a particular formal system. The earliest uses are most often traced to the 17th and 18th centuries, but the exact first recorded date is uncertain.

Synonyms: articulation, communicability, expression

Antonyms: inexpressibility, muteness