arable

1 of 2

adjective

ar·​a·​ble ˈa-rə-bəl How to pronounce arable (audio)
ˈer-ə-
1
: fit for or used for the growing of crops
arable land
2
British : engaged in, produced by, or being the cultivation of arable land
arable farming
arable farmers
arability noun

arable

2 of 2

noun

chiefly British
: land fit or used for the growing of crops
also : a plot of such land
the village arable of Anglo-Saxon times

Examples of arable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The property also has more than 1,000 acres of arable land, perfect for anyone interested in exercising their green thumb, along with multiple farm structures and seven residential cottages. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, much of the infrastructure needed for adequate food production – greenhouses, arable lands, orchards, livestock and food production facilities – have been destroyed or heavily damaged in various rounds of bombing in Gaza. Yara M. Asi, The Conversation, 15 Feb. 2024 Limited arable land and inadequate agricultural infrastructure compound the issue, reducing domestic food production. Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Rural communities sometimes oppose the conversion of agricultural areas to solar, arguing that arable land should be protected for food security and to maintain the economic health of farming towns. Catrin Einhorn, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024 There is no unused arable land on a planet that’s already struggling to support a human population that cleared 8 billion last month, and where roughly 1 million plants and animals are threatened with extinction. IEEE Spectrum, 15 Dec. 2022 Farmers scuttle and dump that waste to wooden fence lines and eventually stack that stone into crude walls to maximize arable space, mark property boundaries and help with fencing. Robert Thorson, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Nov. 2023 Sourcing Seeds On any arable farm, sourcing organic seeds will be one key part of the puzzle. Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 6 June 2023 Given its vast arable land, Ukraine would be eligible for billions in payments. Beatriz Ríos, Washington Post, 15 Dec. 2023
Noun
About 13% of the land is arable, with microclimates suited to nearly every crop. The Economist, 28 May 2020 Today, the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon run the estate, spanning 5,000 acres with 4,000 acres of arable farming. Rachel King, Fortune, 17 Aug. 2019 For centuries, Knepp Castle’s 3,500-acre estate was devoted to intensive arable and dairy farming. National Geographic, 16 June 2018 Traditionally, the arable farmer has fought against two enemies: weather and weeds. Bella Bathurst, Newsweek, 29 May 2014 With the advent of arable and animal agriculture, fishing alone, of the three ancient ways of obtaining food—the other two being hunting and plant foraging—has remained vital to human civilisation. The Economist, 14 Dec. 2017 The pigs are raised in arable bliss by doting artisanal farmers (a marketing narrative orchestrated to sell consumers on the Frankenswine). Emily Poenisch, Esquire, 29 June 2017 But local governments that have relied for years on land sales to fund growth can circumvent restrictions by counting marginal land as arable, or re-zoning urban areas as farms. Bloomberg News, Bloomberg.com, 19 May 2017 April is also high season for sandstorms, a result of desertification—the transformation of arable, hospitable land into desert. National Geographic, 21 Apr. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'arable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French, from Latin arabilis, from arare to plow; akin to Old English erian to plow, Greek aroun

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1576, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near arable

Cite this Entry

“Arable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arable. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

arable

adjective
ar·​a·​ble
ˈar-ə-bəl
: fit for or cultivated by plowing : suitable for producing crops
arable soil
arability
ˌar-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē
noun
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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