fungible

adjective

fun·gi·ble | \ ˈfən-jə-bəl

Definition of fungible

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : being something (such as money or a commodity) of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in paying a debt or settling an account Oil, wheat, and lumber are fungible commodities. fungible goods

2 : capable of mutual substitution : interchangeable … the court's postulate that male and female jurors must be regarded as fungible— George Will

3 : readily changeable to adapt to new situations : flexible Managers typically use more than a hundred different lineups over the course of the season. Batting orders are so fungible that few players last long in one spot.— Tom Verducci

fungible

noun

Definition of fungible (Entry 2 of 2)

: something that is fungible (see fungible entry 1 sense 1) : a good one part or quantity of which can be substituted for another of equal value in satisfying an obligation —usually used in plural Fungibles may be valued by weight or measure.

Other Words from fungible Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about fungible

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Synonyms & Antonyms for fungible

Synonyms: Adjective

commutable, exchangeable, interchangeable, substitutable, switchable

Antonyms: Adjective

noninterchangeable

Did You Know?

Noun

Fungible - which derives from the Latin verb fungi, meaning "to perform (no relation to the noun "fungus" and its plural "fungi") - is a word that often shows up in legal contexts. Something fungible can be exchanged for something else of the same kind. For example, we could say "oil is a fungible commodity." That means that when a purchaser is expecting a delivery of oil, any oil of the stipulated quantity and quality will usually do. Another example of something fungible is cash. It doesn't matter what twenty dollar bill you get - it's still worth the same amount as any other twenty dollar bill. In contrast, something like a painting isn't fungible; a purchaser would expect a specific, identifiable item to be delivered. In broader use, "fungible" can mean "interchangeable" or sometimes "changeable, fluid, or malleable."

Examples of fungible in a Sentence

Adjective

since fruits and vegetables are regarded as fungible in this diet, you are allowed a total of five servings of either or both

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

And agricultural commodities are fungible, meaning that a shift in Chinese buying to U.S. suppliers doesn’t mean an increase in overall demand world-wide. — Spencer Jakab, WSJ, "Market High from Trump-Xi Trade Truce May Not Last," 29 June 2019 Like many in our parental peer group, our consequences are never punishments and always fungible. — Mike Mikula, Washington Post, "What happened when my son slacked his way through algebra and we didn’t bail him out," 8 Aug. 2019 Take soda off the list and there will be another fungible commodity to take its place. — Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, "The White Ghetto," 23 July 2019 Indeed, while the term has been bandied about regularly in a frenzy of diplomacy in recent weeks, denuclearization is a fungible concept. — New York Times, "Trump’s Iran Decision Sends North Korea a Signal. Was It the Right One?," 9 May 2018 In an era dominated by fleeting, fungible digital interactions, Poster House is a triumphant monument to the idea that powerful visuals on ink and paper can shape culture and sometimes even alter the course of history. — Anne Quito, Quartzy, "A new museum dedicated to the enduring power of posters opens in New York City," 20 June 2019 But for Whitman the soul is fungible, shared by all. — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, "How to Celebrate Walt Whitman’s Two-Hundredth Birthday," 17 June 2019 Closing has become so fungible that not since Brian Wilson of the 2010 Giants has a team’s Opening Day closer secured the last out of the World Series. — Tom Verducci, SI.com, "The Slow Death of the Proven Closer," 5 June 2019 Some lawyers argue that data is fungible and replicable, while others contend its use to nourish self-learning software and artificial intelligence can confer a lasting advantage to bigger firms. — Sam Schechner And Valentina Pop, WSJ, "EU Starts Preliminary Probe into Amazon's Treatment of Merchants," 19 Sep. 2018

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

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More Definitions for fungible

fungible

adjective

fun·gi·ble | \ ˈfən-jə-bəl\

Legal Definition of fungible

(Entry 1 of 2)

: being something (as money or a commodity) one part or quantity of which can be substituted for another of equal value in paying a debt or settling an account oil, wheat, and lumber are fungible commodities

fungible

noun

Legal Definition of fungible (Entry 2 of 2)

: something that is fungible

fungible

Definition of fungible

Other Words from fungible

Synonyms & Antonyms for fungible

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Examples of fungible in a Sentence

First Known Use of fungible

History and Etymology for fungible

Legal Definition of fungible

fungible

Definition of fungible

Other Words from fungible

Synonyms & Antonyms for fungible

Did You Know?

Examples of fungible in a Sentence

First Known Use of fungible

History and Etymology for fungible

Legal Definition of fungible

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