-ible

suffix forming adjectives meaning 'that may or may be' (see -ABLE) (terrible; forcible; possible).
Etymology: F -ible or L -ibilis

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— see -able

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var. of -able, occurring in words borrowed from Latin (credible; horrible; visible), or modeled on the Latin type (reducible).

[ < L -ibil(is) or -ibil(is), equiv. to -i- or -i- thematic vowel + -bilis -BLE]

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-ible /-ə-bl/

adj sfx

Having similar uses to those of ↑-able, esp the passive ‘capable of being’, as in audible, permissible, visible

ORIGIN: L -ibilis, from -bilis as used with a 2nd-, 3rd- or 4th-conjugation verb

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-ibility n sfx

-ibly adv sfx

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-ible,

suffix added to verbs to form adjectives. that can be _____ed; able to be _____ed: »

Divisible = that can be divided. Perfectible = that can be perfected. Reducible = that can be reduced.

╂[< Latin -ibilis, -ībilis, a suffix forming adjectives from verbs with infinitives in -ēre, -ere, -īre, being one form of the suffix -bilis]

Usage See -able for usage note. (Cf. ↑-able)

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[əbəl; ibəl]

suffix forming adjectives

1) able to be

audible | defensible

2) suitable for being

reversible | edible

3) causing

terrible | horrible

4) having the quality to

descendible | passible

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Origin:

from French -ible or Latin -ibilis

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↑-able ————————

— see ↑-able

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-ible [-ible] ; -ibly

» ↑-able, » ↑-ably

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-ible

the form of the suffix -ble, representing L. -ĭbilis, formed from Latin consonantal stems (verbal or participial) and some e-stems, and -ībilis from i-stems; as leg-ible, poss-ible, vis-ible, flex-ible, permiss-ible, terr-ible, aud-ible. Often displaced by -able in words that have come through French, or that are looked upon as formed immediately on an Eng. verb. as refer-able, ten-able, readmitt-able, convert-able, divid-able.