portable

The word “portable” means light and compact enough to be carried or moved easily. In plain terms, easy to carry, or able to be moved/transferred from one place, job, or system to another.

“Portable” is pronounced PAW-tuh-buhl (/ˈpɔɹtəbəl/ in IPA).

Here is “portable” used in a sentence: “She bought a portable speaker for the beach.”

Words with a similar meaning to “portable” include bearable, carriable, fieldable, grab-and-go, handcarried and portatile.

The opposite of “portable” — its antonyms — are anchored, fixed, immobile, immotile and immovable.

“Portable” is an adjective.

The word “portable” comes from Latin. From Latin portabilis, built from portare ("to carry") plus the suffix "-able".

“Portable” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C1 level.

Portable describes something light and compact enough to be carried or moved easily, such as a portable heater. Mobile emphasizes the ability to move or be moved, often while in use, as with a mobile phone. Many objects are both portable and mobile.

In its second sense, portable means able to be moved between employers, plans, or systems, as with a portable pension. Transferable is a close synonym, but portable is the usual term for benefits such as pensions and health coverage.

A portable pension is one you can keep and carry with you when you change jobs, rather than losing it or leaving it behind. This reflects the sense of portable meaning able to be transferred between employers or plans.

The opposite of portable is fixed, immovable, or stationary, describing something too heavy or firmly attached to be carried. In the benefits sense, the opposite is non-transferable.