por·ta·ble
ˈpȯr-tə-bəl 
1
a
: capable of being carried or moved about
a portable TV
b
: characterized by portability
a portable pension
c
: usable on many computers with little or no modification
portable software
2
archaic
: bearable
: something that is portable
Synonyms
Examples of portable in a Sentence
Adjective
Portable devices such as MP3 players are becoming increasingly popular.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lauren Finney Harden, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
Camps of large white tents, portable toilets and wash stations have been set up nearby so patrols can rest on their 72-hour rotations through the desert.
—David Culver, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Residents have portable toilets, showers, laundry and trash pickup.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
Round Wood-Burning Fire Pit in Stainless Steel with Carry Bag
Reasonably priced and incredibly portable, this compact fire pit is a top seller at Home Depot for good reason.
—Kelsey Chapman, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2024
The Eclipse Could Bring $1.5 Billion Into States on the Path of Totality
During the 2017 eclipse, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all dispatched portable towers to boost coverage along the eclipse’s path.
—Simmone Shah, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
The portable filtration system removes bacteria, parasites and microplastics from water sources.
—Meredith Woerner, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Parents, in particular, appreciated the portable vacuum for handling spills and messes.
—Amy Gordon, Parents, 3 Apr. 2024
Before Juan and Selena had arrived at First Presbyterian Thursday afternoon for their training on this $3,300 portable video magnifier, Tafoya had pretty much predicted this kind of response.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2024
Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 3 Aug. 2023
The new five-gate concourse replacing the four-gate portables also has gates numbered 1-4.
—The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
Kevin Purdy Yes, a Windows installation means a gaming portable is compatible with almost every PC game ever made, including many that still don't run on SteamOS for one reason or another.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 11 Jan. 2024
But in typical emerging-tech fashion, the Fold OLED is expected to be wildly expensive for a portable—or any type of—monitor.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2024
Normally sitting well above $300, this is the best time to grab this powerful portable.
—Medea Giordano, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023
Nori Press Portable Handheld Iron $119 $95 With this portable (and handheld) iron, traveling with wrinkly clothes is a problem of the past.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2023
Acer Swift 3 14-Inch OLED Laptop for $750 ($350 off)
Acer
Acer's Swift 3 is a solid portable with an Intel Core i7-(12700H) processor, 16 gigabytes of RAM, and a 1-terabyte SSD.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023
How to build a nonalcoholic bar so everyone feels included
Other portables
Too busy to batch?
—M. Carrie Allan, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
Adjective
Available in a ton of colors and in sizes ranging from 12 to 40 cans, the cooler is lightweight, durable, and portable for camping, kayaking, hunting, golfing, or just sitting in the backyard.
—Lauren Finney Harden, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2024
Camps of large white tents, portable toilets and wash stations have been set up nearby so patrols can rest on their 72-hour rotations through the desert.
—David Culver, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
Residents have portable toilets, showers, laundry and trash pickup.
—Calmatters, The Mercury News, 12 Apr. 2024
Round Wood-Burning Fire Pit in Stainless Steel with Carry Bag
Reasonably priced and incredibly portable, this compact fire pit is a top seller at Home Depot for good reason.
—Kelsey Chapman, ABC News, 10 Apr. 2024
The Eclipse Could Bring $1.5 Billion Into States on the Path of Totality
During the 2017 eclipse, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile all dispatched portable towers to boost coverage along the eclipse’s path.
—Simmone Shah, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024
The portable filtration system removes bacteria, parasites and microplastics from water sources.
—Meredith Woerner, Variety, 5 Apr. 2024
Parents, in particular, appreciated the portable vacuum for handling spills and messes.
—Amy Gordon, Parents, 3 Apr. 2024
Before Juan and Selena had arrived at First Presbyterian Thursday afternoon for their training on this $3,300 portable video magnifier, Tafoya had pretty much predicted this kind of response.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 1 Apr. 2024
Noun
That indicates that a huge portion of these Linux users are actually playing on Valve's Steam Deck portable, which runs Linux.
—Samuel Axon, Ars Technica, 3 Aug. 2023
The new five-gate concourse replacing the four-gate portables also has gates numbered 1-4.
—The Arizona Republic, 26 Jan. 2024
Kevin Purdy Yes, a Windows installation means a gaming portable is compatible with almost every PC game ever made, including many that still don't run on SteamOS for one reason or another.
—Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 11 Jan. 2024
But in typical emerging-tech fashion, the Fold OLED is expected to be wildly expensive for a portable—or any type of—monitor.
—Scharon Harding, Ars Technica, 14 Jan. 2024
Normally sitting well above $300, this is the best time to grab this powerful portable.
—Medea Giordano, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023
Nori Press Portable Handheld Iron $119 $95 With this portable (and handheld) iron, traveling with wrinkly clothes is a problem of the past.
—Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2023
Acer Swift 3 14-Inch OLED Laptop for $750 ($350 off)
Acer
Acer's Swift 3 is a solid portable with an Intel Core i7-(12700H) processor, 16 gigabytes of RAM, and a 1-terabyte SSD.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 22 Nov. 2023
How to build a nonalcoholic bar so everyone feels included
Other portables
Too busy to batch?
—M. Carrie Allan, Washington Post, 17 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'portable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near portable
Cite this Entry
“Portable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portable. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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