Viables

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Definitions

1. Capable of living, growing, or developing under suitable conditions
2. Describing something that can be implemented successfully or effectively in practice
3. Referring to options or choices that are feasible and likely to succeed

Etymology: "Viables" is simply the plural of "viable," so its history is that of the singular form. "Viable" was borrowed from French "viable," which descends from Latin "vita," meaning "life." Its original sense was therefore about being capable of living, and it was applied to a newborn or a fetus able to survive outside the womb before the word's wider meanings developed. The modern sense of workability owes something to a second Latin source. The Latin "viabilis," meaning "passable," meaning a road or path that could be traveled, influenced the French form's meaning. Through that influence, a word rooted in life came to describe plans, ideas and projects that can be carried through in practice.

Synonyms: feasibles, workables

Antonyms: impossibles, infeasibles, unworkables