What does accommodable mean?
"Accommodable" is an uncommon English adjective meaning capable of being accommodated — that is, able to be fitted, housed, adapted, or provided for within a given arrangement or space. A building might be described as accommodable to a large gathering, or a plan as accommodable to new circumstances. The word derives from the Latin verb commodare ("to make fit, to provide"), the same root behind the far more familiar "accommodate" and "accommodation." In practice, "accommodable" is rare in contemporary usage and carries a slightly formal, even old-fashioned tone; writers today overwhelmingly prefer alternatives such as "adaptable," "flexible," or "accommodating." Its chief value lies in precise, formal contexts where one wishes to emphasize that something can be accommodated rather than that someone is willing to accommodate. Because it is so rarely encountered, readers may find it unfamiliar, but its meaning follows logically from its better-known relatives.
adjectiveCapable of being accommodated; able to be fitted, adapted, or provided for.
- Capable of being accommodated, housed, or fitted into a given space or arrangement.
"The hall proved accommodable for the entire delegation once the extra chairs were brought in."
"The venue was easily accommodable to the needs of the conference."
"Such a rigid schedule left little that was accommodable to last-minute changes."
Despite sharing its first six letters with one of English's most famously misspelled words, "accommodable" is so obscure that most dictionaries barely list it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of accommodable
"Accommodable" comes from Latin commodare, meaning "to make fit" or "to provide," formed from com- ("together") plus modus ("measure, manner"). English borrowed it via the same Romance lineage that produced "accommodate" and "accommodation," which entered English in the early modern period. It remains a rare sibling of those common words rather than a widely used term in its own right.
Related word forms
How accommodable is actually used
"Accommodable" is a rare and largely archaic adjective; it appears mainly in older or formal writing, and modern speakers usually reach for "accommodating," "adaptable," or "suitable" instead. It should not be confused with the far more common verb "accommodate."
Easily confused with accommodable
"Accommodating" describes a person who is willing to help or oblige, while "accommodable" describes something that can itself be accommodated or fitted into a space or arrangement.
"Comfortable" means providing ease or physical comfort, whereas "accommodable" refers only to the capacity of being accommodated.