Guardable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Capable of being protected or secured from harm or danger
2. Able to be shielded or defended against threats or risks
3. Likely to be preserved or maintained safely from potential damage or intrusion

Etymology: "Guardable" is a plain formation: the English noun-turned-verb "guard" with the suffix "-able" attached, meaning capable of being guarded. The suffix comes through Middle English "-able" from Old French "-able" and Latin "-abilis" and "-ābilis", which gave the sense of something that can be done or undergone. Put together, the word describes something that can be protected. The base word "guard" has a more tangled past. It traces back to a Frankish form, "wardēn", meaning to watch or take care of, which entered Early Medieval Latin as "wardāre" and then Old French as "guarder". French also gave English a parallel form, "warden", through a separate route, so the two words are doublets: the same Germanic root reached English once through the Norman-influenced French "guard" and once more as "ward" and "warden" from the Germanic side.

Synonyms: defensible, protectable

Antonyms: vulnerable, exposed