Reversible

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ɹəˈvɜː(ɹ)sɪbəl/

Definitions

1. Capable of being returned to an earlier condition after modification
2. Something that can go backward or be turned around in sequence or direction ; able to be restored to a former state after change or damage ; designed to function or be worn with either side facing outward
3. Having the property to move or operate in the opposite way when desired ; capable of being returned to an original condition ; made so that both sides can serve the same purpose when used

Etymology: "Reversible" is built from "reverse" and the suffix "-ible," which means "able to be" or "capable of being." So the word literally describes something capable of being turned back, whether a garment, a decision, or a chemical reaction. The root "reverse" arrived in English from Old French "reverse," which in turn came from Latin "reversus," the past participle of "revertere," meaning "to turn back." The Latin verb itself combined "re-" (back, again) with "vertere" (to turn), so the idea of turning around has been built into the word from the start. The suffix "-ible" likely came into English through Middle French, where it attached to Latin verb stems to form adjectives describing possibility. Many English words ending in "-ible" followed this pattern, so "reversible" joins a large family of words, such as "visible" and "divisible," that share the same ending and sense of capability.

Synonyms: undoable, changeable

Antonyms: irreversible, permanent