Expugnable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Capable of being conquered or taken by force, especially in reference to a fortified position or stronghold
2. Subject to being overcome or captured through military efforts, typically in relation to strong fortifications or defensible positions
3. Capable of being seized or defeated through attack or siege

Etymology: "Expugnable" is the English adjective for something that can be taken by force, and it comes straight from Latin "expugnabilis", the adjective meaning the same. Its structure is transparent: the Latin base "pugnare", "to fight", appears in the verb "expugnare", "to take by storm or conquer in battle", where the prefix "ex-" intensifies the sense of winning out through fighting. The suffix "-abilis" means "able to be", so the word literally describes something able to be overcome in battle. The Latin root "pugnus", "fist", is the same source behind "pugnacious" and "pugilist", so "expugnable" shares its core with words for combative temperament and boxing. English adopted the word as a formal, rather military term, and it has stayed largely in literary and historical use, where it still sounds like the language of sieges and fortresses.

Synonyms: vulnerable, assailable

Antonyms: impregnable, invulnerable