What does detonatable mean?
"Detonatable" is an adjective describing something — typically an explosive device, munition, or charge — that is capable of being detonated, that is, made to explode by a trigger, fuse, electrical impulse, or other initiating mechanism. The word belongs chiefly to technical registers: it appears in military ordnance reports, bomb-disposal procedures, demolition planning, and explosives-safety regulation, where precision about whether an object can still function as an explosive is literally a matter of life and death. An unexploded shell might be described as "still detonatable," while one that has been rendered inert is not. Formed from the verb "detonate" plus the suffix "-able," the word carries no strong emotional connotation on its own but inherits the gravity of its context. Its root is the Latin tonare, meaning to thunder, which also gives us words like "detonation" and, more surprisingly, "astonish." For writers needing a concise way to say that something remains explosively active, "detonatable" fills a genuine lexical gap.
adjectiveCapable of being detonated; able to be caused to explode violently.
- Capable of being detonated; able to explode when triggered.
"The engineers confirmed the old shells were still detonatable and had to be disposed of carefully."
"Bomb-disposal teams treat every recovered shell as live and detonatable until proven otherwise."
"Safety regulations require all detonatable waste to be stored in reinforced bunkers far from residential areas."
It shares a root with "astonish" — both trace back to the Latin tonare, to thunder.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of detonatable
"Detonatable" derives from the verb "detonate," formed from the Latin detonare, combining de- (down) with tonare (to thunder) — originally describing an explosion that thunders downward rather than upward. "Detonate" itself was borrowed into English around the early 17th century, and "detonatable" arose later through the productive English suffix -able. It shares its thunderous Latin root with "detonation," "detonator," and, via a longer development, "astonish."
Related word forms
How detonatable is actually used
"Detonatable" is a technical term used mainly in military, mining, demolition, and explosives-safety contexts; in everyday speech people more often say "could still explode" or simply "live."
Easily confused with detonatable
"Denotable" means capable of being indicated or referred to by a sign or word, whereas "detonatable" means capable of exploding.