Transitable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Capable of being traveled or passed through; allowing easy passage or movement; suitable for transit or navigation
2. Describing a path or route that can be crossed or used by vehicles or pedestrians without obstruction; permitting passage from one place to another; accessible for transportation
3. Characterizing a terrain, road, or area that is navigable or walkable; feasible to traverse or cross; enabling movement across it without difficulty

Etymology: "Transitable" is a plain formation: the noun "transit," plus the suffix "-able." "Transit" comes from Latin "transitus," meaning "a going across," which derives from the verb "transire," built from "trans-" ("across") and "ire" ("to go"). The suffix "-able" comes from Latin "-abilis" and turns a verb into an adjective meaning "capable of being" the action. So a transitable road or pass is one that can be gone across. The same Latin verb lies behind "transient," "transition," and "transitive." Something transient is literally "going across," passing through without staying, and a transitive verb carries its action across to an object. "Transitable" is less common than "passable" or "traversable," which are its close synonyms, but it follows the same pattern.

Synonyms: passable, navigable, traversable, crossable, accessible

Antonyms: impassable, blocked, inaccessible, unpassable, closed