What does dischargeable mean?
"Dischargeable" is an adjective meaning capable of being discharged — that is, released, unloaded, paid off, or formally cancelled. Its dominant modern use is legal and financial: in bankruptcy proceedings, a debt is described as dischargeable if it can be wiped out by court order, freeing the debtor from personal liability. Certain obligations, however, such as most student loans, recent taxes, and child support, are typically deemed non-dischargeable, making the term a crucial one for anyone navigating insolvency law. Beyond finance, the word can describe anything that can be let go or emptied — a cargo, a battery's stored energy, or even a duty. Formal in tone and largely confined to professional, technical, and legal writing, "dischargeable" derives from the verb "discharge," which traces back through Old French "deschargier" to the Late Latin "carricare," meaning to load. The word thus carries an etymological irony: something loadable is, in its adjective form, unloadable.
adjectiveCapable of being discharged — released, unloaded, or paid off. In legal and financial contexts, it most often describes a debt or obligation that can legally be extinguished, especially in bankruptcy proceedings.
- (of a debt or obligation) able to be legally discharged or cancelled, especially through bankruptcy
- (more generally) able to be discharged, released, or unloaded
"The court ruled that the credit card balances were dischargeable in bankruptcy."
"Medical bills are typically dischargeable in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy."
"The battery is easily dischargeable through the external port."
In bankruptcy law, the fate of your student loans often hinges on this single word — most debts are dischargeable, but some stubbornly are not.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dischargeable
"Dischargeable" is formed by adding the suffix "-able" to the verb "discharge." The verb itself entered English in the Middle Ages via Old French "deschargier" (to unload), from Vulgar Latin "discarricare," built on Late Latin "carricare" (to load, from "carrus," a wheeled vehicle — the same root that gives us "car" and "cargo"). The adjective emerged later, as English routinely produced "-able" derivatives of verbs, and gained particular prominence in nineteenth- and twentieth-century bankruptcy statutes distinguishing dischargeable from non-dischargeable debts.
How dischargeable is actually used
Predominantly formal and legal in register; outside of bankruptcy and debt contexts it is relatively rare, with 'can be discharged' usually preferred in everyday prose.
Easily confused with dischargeable
Chargeable means subject to being charged (e.g. with a crime or a fee), while dischargeable means capable of being discharged or released.