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flammable

adjective
flam·​ma·​ble | \ ˈfla-mə-bəl How to pronounce flammable (audio) \

Definition of flammable

: capable of being easily ignited and of burning quickly
Other Words from flammable Synonyms & Antonyms Why Inflammable Is Not the Opposite of Flammable Example Sentences Learn More about flammable

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Other Words from flammable

flammable noun

Why Inflammable Is Not the Opposite of Flammable

Combustible and incombustible are opposites, but flammable and inflammable are synonyms. How can that be? The in- of incombustible is a common prefix meaning "not," but the in- of inflammable is a different prefix. Inflammable, which dates back to 1605, descends from Latin inflammare ("to inflame"), itself from in- (here meaning "in" or "into") plus flammare ("to flame"). Flammable also comes from flammare but didn't enter English until 1813. In the early 20th century, firefighters worried that people might think inflammable meant "not able to catch fire," so they adopted flammable and nonflammable as official safety labels and encouraged their use to prevent confusion. In general use, flammable is now the preferred term for describing things that can catch fire, but inflammable is still occasionally used with that meaning as well.

Examples of flammable in a Sentence

avoid wearing loose flammable clothing when using the blowtorch

Recent Examples on the Web

 And the founders created a street grid, an early version of what would become a semicircular city with all arterial roads converging on a giant, flammable human figure in the center. — Emily Badger, New York Times, "A Nobel-Winning Economist Goes to Burning Man," 5 Sep. 2019 Erica and George Cruz claimed that the production company kept highly flammable equipment in the building's basement. — Katherine Schaffstall, The Hollywood Reporter, "Edward Norton Attempts to Solve Mentor's Murder in 'Motherless Brooklyn' Trailer," 22 Aug. 2019 Clearing bigger trees like redwoods, critics add, also could bring more sunlight into the wildlands, boosting the growth of flammable grasses, brush and saplings. — Kurtis Alexander, SFChronicle.com, "‘Radical’ tree trimming: Critics say PG&E’s rush to stop fires may hurt California forests," 15 Aug. 2019 Warm air has more energy and evaporates more moisture, leaving forest cover parched and flammable. — Jeff Berardelli, CBS News, "Wildfires could grow exponentially as climate warms, study warns," 17 July 2019 After all, gas stations are peddling hundreds and thousands of gallons of toxic and flammable liquid every day. — Tony Rehagen, BostonGlobe.com, "Farewell to hot dog rollers and roadside chats: an elegy for the American gas station," 11 July 2019 Portland police began investigating Tuesday after two residents at the 3900 block of Southeast 104th Avenue found bottles with flammable liquid in their yards Monday and Tuesday. — Christina Morales | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive.com, "Molotov cocktail suspect charged with second-degree bias crime, other charges," 15 Aug. 2019 Second, putting out fires now leaves that much more highly flammable fuel on the landscape for next year or the year after – a problem that many blame for catastrophic fires in other states. — Nancy Fresco, The Conversation, "Huge wildfires in the Arctic and far North send a planetary warning," 14 Aug. 2019 In these conditions, normally green vegetation can convert into bone-dry, flammable fuel; strong winds spread fire quickly; and warm temperatures encourage combustion. — Claire Wolters, National Geographic, "Wildfires, explained," 11 Aug. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flammable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of flammable

1813, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for flammable

Latin flammare to flame, set on fire, from flamma

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More Definitions for flammable

flammable

adjective
How to pronounce flammable (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of flammable

: capable of being set on fire and of burning quickly

See the full definition for flammable in the English Language Learners Dictionary

flammable

adjective
flam·​ma·​ble | \ ˈfla-mə-bəl How to pronounce flammable (audio) \

Kids Definition of flammable

: capable of being easily set on fire and of burning quickly

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