What does eatable mean?
Eatable is an adjective meaning fit or safe to be eaten, making it a close synonym of 'edible'. Both words trace back to Latin roots connected with eating, but they differ subtly in tone: 'edible' is the neutral, scientific-sounding standard term, while 'eatable' tends toward everyday, slightly informal speech and often carries a lukewarm judgment about food quality. To call a meal 'eatable' is frequently to damn it with faint praise — it suggests the food is tolerable, something you can get down without disgust, rather than something genuinely delicious. The word appears in both British and American English and has been used by writers such as Jane Austen and Charles Dickens. It is most useful when you want to convey that food crosses the bare threshold of acceptability without endorsing its flavour.
adjectiveFit or safe to be eaten; edible. Often used to describe food that is merely acceptable rather than enjoyable.
- Fit or safe to be eaten (neutral sense).
- (Often with a hint of condescension) tolerable in taste or quality — food that can be eaten without disgust but is not especially good.
"The campfire stew was barely eatable, but no one complained after a long day of hiking."
"The picnic spread was simple but entirely eatable."
"The hotel breakfast was at least eatable, if not memorable."
'Eatable' was good enough for Jane Austen and Charles Dickens — yet today it often carries a faint apology: the food won't hurt you, but don't expect a feast.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of eatable
Eatable derives from the verb 'eat', an Old English word (etan) with cognates across the Germanic languages, combined with the adjectival suffix '-able', borrowed from Old French and ultimately Latin '-abilis'. It was formed within English, likely in the early modern period, alongside similar formations like 'drinkable'. Its Latin-derived cousin 'edible', from edere ('to eat'), entered English in the early 17th century and gradually became the more common term for 'fit to be eaten', leaving 'eatable' as the more colloquial alternative.
How eatable is actually used
Slightly informal and less common than 'edible'. When applied critically, it can sound lukewarm or faintly dismissive — 'the food was eatable' rarely reads as praise.
Easily confused with eatable
'Edible' means fit to be eaten and is the standard, neutral term, while 'eatable' more often implies food that is merely passable or tolerable in quality.