What does sizeable mean?
Sizeable is an adjective meaning large, substantial, or considerable. It is used when the size or amount of something is significant enough to be noteworthy, as in a sizeable investment, a sizeable increase, or a sizeable number of people. The word can describe physical dimensions, but it is especially common for financial quantities, changes, proportions, and collections. Sizeable is standard in both British and American English, although the variant spelling sizable is more frequent in American usage. The related adverb sizably is used in formal contexts, while sizeableness is less common and sounds more formal or literary. Together with its variant spelling, sizeable is useful for expressing that something is not merely present or visible but large enough to have a practical or noticeable effect.
adjectiveLarge in amount, size, or extent; substantial. It describes something that is notably big or considerable.
- Large or substantial in amount, size, or extent.
"The project required a sizeable investment before it could begin."
"The company made a sizeable profit despite the difficult market conditions."
"A sizeable number of visitors arrived at the festival."
Sizeable is the adjective for when something is not merely big, but big enough to make a noticeable difference.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sizeable come from?
Sizeable is an English adjective formed from the noun size with the suffix -able, a combination that developed into many adjectives describing capacity, quality, or extent. The spelling sizeable is a variant of sizable, and both forms have long been used in English. The underlying noun size belongs to a wider European word family associated with the Latin word sīsus, meaning size or dimension.
Related word forms
How sizeable is actually used
Sizeable is an informal but broadly accepted alternative spelling of sizable. It is especially common in British English, while sizable is often preferred in American English. The word normally describes amounts, changes, groups, or physical dimensions that are noticeably large.
Easily confused with sizeable
Sizeable and sizable are spelling variants of the same adjective; both are standard in British and American English, although sizeable is especially common in British usage.