Standard Lemma guide

compatible

adj · noun · 7 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Canada, Received-Pronunciation, US: /kəmˈpæt.ə.bəl/
  • Canada, Received-Pronunciation, US: [km̩ˈpæt.ə.bl̩]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 M P AE1 T AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Capable of working together without conflict.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • This printer isn't compatible with my computer.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Able to get along well.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • My neighbours and I are not very compatible: they're loud and I'm an introvert.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Consistent; congruous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • His actions were compatible with his sermons.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: compliant, congruent, in step, commensurate, compatible, conformable, conformant, congruous, consistent, in line, proportionate, uniform

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Something that is compatible with something else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a computer company that sells IBM compatibles

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective

Meaning 5

able to exist and perform in harmonious or agreeable combination

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a compatible married couple
  • her deeds were compatible with her ideology

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: incompatible

6

adjective

Meaning 6

capable of being used with or connected to other devices or components without modification

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: incompatible

7

adjective satellite

Meaning 7

capable of forming a homogeneous mixture that neither separates nor is altered by chemical interaction

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English compatible, fron Anglo-Norman compatible, from Medieval Latin compatibilis (“in compatibile beneficium, a benefice which could be held together with another one”), from Late Latin compator (“to suffer with”), from com- (“together”) + pati (“to suffer”); see passion.

Across languages

Translations

87 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: համատեղելի (hamateġeli) — capable of easy interaction
  • Asturian: compatible — capable of easy interaction
  • Bulgarian: съвместим (sǎvmestim) — capable of easy interaction
  • Catalan: compatible — capable of easy interaction
  • Chinese Mandarin: 兼容的 (jiānróng de) — capable of easy interaction
  • Chinese Mandarin: 相容的 (xiāngróng de) — capable of easy interaction
  • Czech: slučitelný — capable of easy interaction
  • Czech: kompatibilní — capable of easy interaction
  • Danish: kompatibel — capable of easy interaction
  • Dutch: verenigbaar — capable of easy interaction
  • Esperanto: kongrua — capable of easy interaction
  • Finnish: yhteensopiva — capable of easy interaction
  • French: compatible — capable of easy interaction
  • Galician: compatible — capable of easy interaction
  • Galician: compatíbel — capable of easy interaction
  • German: austauschbar — capable of easy interaction
  • German: fähig — capable of easy interaction
  • German: kompatibel — capable of easy interaction
  • German: verträglich — capable of easy interaction
  • German: vereinbar — capable of easy interaction
  • Hebrew: תואם (toém) — capable of easy interaction
  • Hebrew: מתאים (mat'ím) — capable of easy interaction
  • Icelandic: samhæfður — capable of easy interaction
  • Icelandic: samhæfur — capable of easy interaction
  • Italian: compatibile — capable of easy interaction
  • Northern Kurdish: sazgar — capable of easy interaction
  • Māori: hototahi — capable of easy interaction
  • Norwegian: forenelig — capable of easy interaction
  • Norwegian Bokmål: kompatibel — capable of easy interaction
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: kompatibel — capable of easy interaction
  • Persian: همپشت (hampošt) — capable of easy interaction
  • Persian: سازوار (sāzvār) — capable of easy interaction
  • Polish: kompatybilny — capable of easy interaction
  • Polish: zgodny — capable of easy interaction
  • Portuguese: compatível — capable of easy interaction
  • Romanian: compatibil — capable of easy interaction
  • Russian: совмести́мый (sovmestímyj) — capable of easy interaction
  • Russian: сочета́емый (sočetájemyj) — capable of easy interaction
  • Serbo-Croatian: kompatibilan — capable of easy interaction
  • Spanish: compatible — capable of easy interaction
  • Swedish: kompatibel — capable of easy interaction
  • Tagalog: magkasundo — capable of easy interaction
  • Tagalog: magkahiyang — capable of easy interaction
  • Turkish: bağdaşan — capable of easy interaction
  • Turkish: bağdaşır — capable of easy interaction
  • Turkish: uyumlu — capable of easy interaction
  • Vietnamese: tương thích — capable of easy interaction
  • Vietnamese: tương hợp — capable of easy interaction
  • Bulgarian: съвместим (sǎvmestim) — able to get along well
  • Chinese Mandarin: 相處融洽的 /相处融洽的 (xiāngchǔ róngqià de) — able to get along well
  • Chinese Mandarin: 合得來的 /合得来的 (hédelái de) — able to get along well
  • Chinese Mandarin: 性格相合的 (xìnggé xiānghé de) — able to get along well
  • Dutch: verenigbaar — able to get along well
  • Esperanto: simpatia — able to get along well
  • Finnish: toimeen tuleva — able to get along well
  • Finnish: yhteen sopiva — able to get along well
  • French: compatible — able to get along well
  • Galician: compatíbel — able to get along well
  • German: kompatibel — able to get along well
  • German: verträglich — able to get along well
  • German: ein gutes Gespann — able to get along well
  • Italian: compatibile — able to get along well
  • Polish: kompatybilny — able to get along well
  • Russian: совмести́мый (sovmestímyj) — able to get along well
  • Russian: подходящий друг другу (podxodjaščij drug drugu) — able to get along well
  • Tagalog: magkasundo — able to get along well
  • Tagalog: magkahiyang — able to get along well
  • Vietnamese: hợp — able to get along well
  • Vietnamese: thích hợp — able to get along well
  • Chinese Mandarin: 協調的 /协调的 (xiétiáo de) — consistent; congruous
  • Chinese Mandarin: 一致的 (yīzhì de) — consistent; congruous
  • Chinese Mandarin: 相容的 (xiāngróng de) — consistent; congruous
  • Finnish: yhteensopiva — consistent; congruous
  • Finnish: yhtäpitävä — consistent; congruous
  • Finnish: linjassa — consistent; congruous
  • German: im Einklang — consistent; congruous
  • German: gut verträglich — consistent; congruous
  • Norwegian Bokmål: forenelig — consistent; congruous
  • Russian: совпада́ющий (sovpadájuščij) — consistent; congruous
  • Russian: сочета́ющийся (sočetájuščijsja) — consistent; congruous
  • Tagalog: magkasundo — consistent; congruous
  • Vietnamese: phù hợp — consistent; congruous
  • Chinese Mandarin: 兼容物件 (jiānróng wùjiàn) — something that is compatible with something else
  • Chinese Mandarin: 相容組件 /相容组件 (xiāngróng zǔjiàn) — something that is compatible with something else
  • Chinese Mandarin: 配套物品 (pèitào wùpǐn) — something that is compatible with something else
  • Chinese Mandarin: 相容機 /相容机 — something that is compatible with something else
  • Finnish: yhteensopiva laite — something that is compatible with something else
Real reading context

compatible in complete knowledge articles