Overcomeable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A term used to indicate that certain difficulties or obstacles can be successfully dealt with, suggesting that they are manageable and not insurmountable
2. This word reflects conditions where challenges are potentially surmountable, indicating that resolution is possible and achievable
3. Able to be conquered or resolved despite difficulties

Etymology: "Overcomeable" is a plain formation: the verb "overcome," with the suffix "-able" attached to mark that something can be done to it. The form is older than its modern spelling suggests, since it appears in Middle English as "overcomabylle," which shows the same two parts (overcome and -able) fused with the medieval spelling habits of the period. The base verb "overcome" is itself an Old English compound, built from "over" and "cuman" (to come), so the sense of coming above or getting the upper hand is already present in its roots. Adding "-able" (from Latin "-abilis," through Old French) produces an adjective meaning that the thing can be got over or mastered. The word belongs to the same family as "conquerable" and "beatable," and it has stayed a fairly informal, less common alternative to those words.

Synonyms: conquerable, defeatable

Antonyms: insurmountable