Settability

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or condition of being able to be settled or resolved in a particular manner
2. The state of being capable of establishing a solution or reaching an agreement under specific circumstances
3. A characteristic indicating that a situation can be effectively determined or finalized through negotiation or decision-making

Etymology: "Settability" is a plain formation: the verb "set" combined with the suffix "-ability," which turns an adjective into a noun meaning the quality of being able to undergo the action in question. Here "set" is used in its sense of arranging, fixing or resolving something, so "settable" describes something that can be settled, and "settability" names the state of being settable. The suffix does most of the work. "-ability" is attached to words ending in "-able," so "settable" (the adjective built from "set") becomes "settability," as "readable" becomes "readability." English has many such pairs, and the pattern lets speakers form a noun for almost any verb that can take "-able." The word is useful mainly in technical or legal contexts, where a dispute or problem must be shown to have a route to resolution. Its meaning follows directly from the verb's sense of putting an issue to rest, which is why it sounds close to "settle" in everyday talk.

Synonyms: stability, solidity, firmness, fixity, steadiness

Antonyms: instability, uncertainty, variability, unsteadiness, volatility