flammable
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
Flammable and inflammable are interchangeable when used of the properties of materials. Flammable is, however, often preferred for warning labels as there is less likelihood of misunderstanding ( inflammable being sometimes taken to mean not flammable ). Inflammable is preferred in figurative contexts: this could prove to be an inflammable situation
Commonly Confused
See inflammable.
Other Word Forms
- flammability noun
Etymology
Origin of flammable
First recorded in 1805–15; from Latin flammā(re) “to set on fire” + -ble
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
They sputtered for an instant, and some of them even went out, but the old wood of the ship was too flammable, and it quickly regained momentum.
From Literature
Hydrogen is leakier and more flammable, and it burns hotter and faster than gas.
From Los Angeles Times
The warehouse and surrounding storage areas were filled with stacks of pallets and cardboard boxes containing highly flammable ethanol-based hand sanitizer, according to court documents.
From Los Angeles Times
County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone that killing off the deer — which reduce flammable material through grazing — could increase wildfire risk.
From Los Angeles Times
With both ships laden with flammable cargo, the danger in the event of a collision was obvious, the court was told.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
