Safeguardable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A trait that enables the effective protection of an asset from potential harm or degradation
2. Able to be shielded from damage or risk through protective measures
3. Possessing qualities that allow something to be kept safe from threats or harm

Etymology: "Safeguardable" is a plain compound: "safeguard" with the suffix "-able" added. The base word "safeguard" entered English as a noun meaning a protective escort or a person who provides protection, and later came to mean any means of defense. Its own parts are "safe" and "guard," so the whole chain stacks a sense of security onto a sense of watchful defense. The suffix "-able" comes from Latin "-abilis," which attached to verbs to mean "able to be" something. Adding it to "safeguard" yields a word meaning able to be protected from harm, the same pattern found in words like "washable" or "breakable."