What does relievable mean?
Relievable is a rare adjective meaning capable of being relieved. It is used especially in relation to distress, anxiety, suffering, or difficulty that can be lessened or removed. In older English, the term could appear in statements such as a condition being described as relievable, meaning that relief was possible. It should not be confused with reliable, a common modern word meaning trustworthy or dependable. Although its form follows the familiar English pattern of adding -able to a verb, relievable is no longer a usual everyday word and may sound old-fashioned even to readers who recognize it. The adjective is therefore most appropriate when reproducing historical language or discussing the development of English vocabulary, rather than in ordinary modern prose.
adjectiveRare or archaic: capable of being relieved, especially from anxiety, difficulty, or emotional strain.
- Capable of being relieved, especially from anxiety, hardship, or emotional strain.
"The doctor assured him that his condition was treatable and his distress relievable."
"The suffering was severe, but the physician believed the patient's symptoms to be relievable."
"She found little comfort in the knowledge that her anxiety was not easily relievable."
Relievable is a rarely encountered survivor of an older English adjective-forming pattern, and in modern usage it may initially be mistaken for a misspelling of reliable.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of relievable
Relievable was formed in English by adding the adjective suffix -able to the verb relieve. The verb entered English from Old French relief or relieving, ultimately from Latin relevare, a compound of re- and levare, meaning to lift or lighten. The -able suffix indicates that something can be relieved. Although the resulting adjective has the familiar form of an English derivation, it is now uncommon.
Related word forms
How relievable is actually used
This word is now rare or archaic and appears mainly in older or highly formal English. In contemporary writing, readers may mistake it for a misspelling of reliable.
Easily confused with relievable
Relievable means capable of being relieved, whereas reliable means trustworthy or dependable.