Standard Lemma guide

disposable

adj · noun · 8 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /dɪsˈpəʊzəbl̩/
  • General-American: /dɪsˈpoʊzəbl̩/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 S P OW1 Z AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That can be disposed of.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

That is designed to be discarded rather than reused, refilled or repaired.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Rather than purchase an expensive razor he bought a packet of cheap disposable ones.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Available to be used; at one's disposal.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • disposable income

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Any object that is designed to be disposed of, rather than refilled or repaired.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Any object that is designed to be disposed of, rather than refilled or repaired.

A disposable vaporizer, as for nicotine or a concentrate of cannabis (THC).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective

Meaning 6

designed to be disposed of after use

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • disposable paper cups

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: nondisposable

7

adjective

Meaning 7

free or available for use or disposition

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • every disposable piece of equipment was sent to the fire
  • disposable assets

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: nondisposable

8

noun

Meaning 8

an item that can be disposed of after it has been used

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: item

History

Etymology

Etymology tree French disposerbor. English dispos(e) Proto-Indo-European *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dhlom Proto-Indo-European *-dhlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English disposable From dispos(e) + -able.

Across languages

Translations

74 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: besteedbaar — that can be disposed of
  • Esperanto: forĵetebla — that can be disposed of
  • French: jetable — that can be disposed of
  • Georgian: ერთჯერადი (ertǯeradi) — that can be disposed of
  • German: wegwerfbar — that can be disposed of
  • German: entsorgbar — that can be disposed of
  • Hindi: प्रयोज्य (prayojya) — that can be disposed of
  • Hungarian: eldobható — that can be disposed of
  • Hungarian: dobós — that can be disposed of
  • Portuguese: descartável — that can be disposed of
  • Russian: однора́зовый (odnorázovyj) — that can be disposed of
  • Scottish Gaelic: so-chaitheamh — that can be disposed of
  • Spanish: desechable — that can be disposed of
  • Armenian: միանգամյա օգտագործման (miangamya ōgtagorcman) — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Bulgarian: за еднократна употреба (za ednokratna upotreba) — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Esperanto: unu-uza — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Finnish: kertakäyttöinen — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Finnish: kertakäyttö- — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • French: jetable — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • German: einweg- — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • German: wegwerf- — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • German: wegwerfbar — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • German: für einmaligen Gebrauch — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Greek: μιας χρήσης (mias chrísis) — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Hebrew: חַד פַּעֲמִי (ẖad pa'mí) — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Hindi: प्रयोज्य (prayojya) — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Hungarian: eldobható — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Hungarian: egyszer használatos — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Indonesian: sekali pakai — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Italian: monouso — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Italian: usa e getta — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Malay: pakai buang — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Malay: boleh buang — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Norman: fliantchabl'ye — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Portuguese: descartável — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Romanian: de unică folosință — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Russian: однора́зовый (odnorázovyj) — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Russian: выбра́сываемый (vybrásyvajemyj) — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Russian: ра́зовый (rázovyj) — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Northern Sami: háválaš — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Scottish Gaelic: so-chaitheamh — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Spanish: desechable — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Spanish: de un solo uso — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Spanish: de usar y tirar — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Spanish: descartable — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Swedish: engångs- — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Swedish: slit-och-släng- — that is designed to be discarded rather than refilled or repaired
  • Bulgarian: наличен (naličen) — available to be used
  • Bulgarian: разполагаем (razpolagaem) — available to be used
  • Catalan: disponible — available to be used
  • Finnish: käytettävissä oleva — available to be used
  • French: disponible — available to be used
  • Galician: dispoñíbel — available to be used
  • German: verfügbar — available to be used
  • German: zur Verfügung stehend — available to be used
  • German: zur gefl. Verfügung — available to be used
  • Greek: διαθέσιμος (diathésimos) — available to be used
  • Hungarian: rendelkezésre álló — available to be used
  • Indonesian: siap pakai — available to be used
  • Italian: disponibile — available to be used
  • Malay: boleh guna — available to be used
  • Portuguese: disponível — available to be used
  • Russian: досту́пный (dostúpnyj) — available to be used
  • Spanish: disponible — available to be used
  • Finnish: kertakäyttötavara — object that is designed to be disposed of
  • French: jetable — object that is designed to be disposed of
  • Georgian: ერთჯერადი (ertǯeradi) — object that is designed to be disposed of
  • German: Einwegartikel — object that is designed to be disposed of
  • German: Wegwerfartikel — object that is designed to be disposed of
  • Hungarian: eldobható cikk/árucikk — object that is designed to be disposed of
  • Polish: jednorazowy — object that is designed to be disposed of
  • Polish: jednorazówka — object that is designed to be disposed of
  • Portuguese: descartável — object that is designed to be disposed of
  • Spanish: desechable — object that is designed to be disposed of