Laughability

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The attribute of being amusing or comical highlights the extent to which something can invoke laughter or a sense of humor
2. The capability of eliciting laughter or entertainment indicates how much amusement a particular situation or expression can generate
3. The degree to which something can provoke laughter or be found humorous

Etymology: "Laughability" is about as transparent as English compounds get: it joins "laugh" to the suffix "-ability," which turns a verb into a noun meaning the quality of being able to be done, here the quality of being able to be laughed at or to provoke laughter. The suffix itself descends from Latin "-abilis," meaning capable of or fit for, and English built a large family of such nouns on it, from "readability" to "believability." The pattern works by stacking a native English verb onto a Latin-derived ending, a mix that is common in modern English word-formation. Because "laugh" is a plain Germanic word and "-ability" is borrowed through French from Latin, the result is a hybrid, a word whose two halves came into English by different routes.

Synonyms: humor, comedy, ridiculousness, absurdity, funny quality

Antonyms: seriousness, solemnity, gravity, earnestness, importance