What does integrable mean?
Integrable describes something that can be brought into a larger whole or system without being fundamentally incompatible with it. For example, an integrable proposal may fit an organisation's existing procedures, while integrable technology can be incorporated into a broader platform. The adjective is more formal than the common alternatives compatible or adaptable, and its use often suggests that some analytical or technical judgement is involved. Mathematics gives the word a specialised meaning: an integrable function is one for which an antiderivative can be found, allowing its accumulated change to be represented by a definite integral. The distinction between a property and an action is important: integrable is an adjective, while integrate is the verb for performing the combination or calculation. The word is therefore useful in technical, legal, scientific, and organisational contexts where smooth inclusion is being assessed.
adjectiveCapable of being integrated into a larger whole, system, or framework. In mathematics, it refers to quantities or functions that admit an antiderivative or can be treated by integration.
- Able to be combined or incorporated into a larger whole, system, or framework.
- Able to be integrated mathematically, especially possessing an antiderivative.
"The team worked to find an integrable design that could be adopted without disrupting the existing platform."
"The proposal remained integrable with the country's existing legal and administrative structure."
"The theorem applies to every integrable function satisfying the stated continuity conditions."
Mathematicians call a function integrable when its total accumulation can be expressed exactly as an antiderivative.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does integrable come from?
Integrable was formed in English by adding the suffix -able to integrate. Integrate ultimately comes through Latin integrāre, a verb meaning “make whole,” which was related to integer, “whole” or “intact.” From this root English also developed integral, integration, and the mathematical sense of combining terms or finding an antiderivative.
Related word forms
How integrable is actually used
In general usage, integrable is formal and relatively uncommon, with integrate or compatible often sounding more natural. In mathematics, it has a precise technical meaning and is usually applied to functions, operators, and related objects.
Easily confused with integrable
Integrable is an adjective describing something capable of being combined into a whole, whereas integrate is a verb describing the act of combining it.