Penetrables

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Capable of being pierced, entered, or passed through physically; susceptible to being influenced or affected emotionally or intellectually; able to be understood or comprehended by the mind
2. Allowing passage through an obstacle or barrier; open to emotional or mental influence and change; accessible to understanding or interpretation
3. Susceptible to physical entry or breach; receptive to emotional or intellectual impact; comprehensible or capable of being grasped mentally

Etymology: "Penetrables" is simply the plural of "penetrable," an adjective and noun formed from "penetrate" plus the suffix "-able." "Penetrate" comes from Latin "penetrare," meaning "to enter into the inside of," built from "penitus" ("inward, deep") and the verb "-trare" ("to push"). The "-able" ending, from Latin "-abilis," means "capable of being" something, so a penetrable thing is one that can be entered or pierced. The word's meaning has spread from the physical to the figurative. Something penetrable might be a wall that a force can breach, but the word also describes a mind open to persuasion or a text whose meaning can be grasped. The plural form "penetrables" is used mainly as a noun for things or places that can be entered or pierced, and it is much less common than the adjective.

Synonyms: permeables, passables, pierceable, accessible, open

Antonyms: impenetrables, impermeables, inaccessible, closed, blocked