noun · 3 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.
US:/ˌvaɪəˈbɪlɪti/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:V AY0 AH0 B IH1 L AH0 T IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The property of being viable; the ability to live or to succeed.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
1904, Hugo DeVries, Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation Ordinarily these altered organs are sterile, but in some instances a very small quantity of seed is produced, and when testing their viability I succeeded in raising a few plants from them.
1980, Jimmy Carter, State of the Union Address In making its grants the Endowment will increase its emphasis on techniques which stimulate support for the humanities from non-Federal sources, in order to reinforce our tradition of private philanthropy in this field, and to insure and expand the financial, viability of our cultural institutions and life.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
(of living things) capable of normal growth and development
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: property
3
noun
Meaning 3
capable of being done in a practical and useful way
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: practicality
History
Etymology
Etymology tree English viable Proto-Indo-European *-teh2 Proto-Indo-European *-ts Proto-Indo-European *-teh2ts Latin -itāsder. Old French -itebor. Middle English -ite English -ity English viability From viable + -ity.
Across languages
Translations
24 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
жизнеспосо́бност
(žiznesposóbnost)
— property of being viable
Catalan:
viabilitat
— property of being viable
Chinese Mandarin:
生存能力
(shēngcún nénglì)
— property of being viable
Chinese Mandarin:
可行性
(kěnéngxìng)
— property of being viable
Czech:
životaschopnost
— property of being viable
Dutch:
levensvatbaarheid
— property of being viable
Finnish:
toteuttamiskelpoisuus
— property of being viable
French:
viabilité
— property of being viable
German:
Lebensfähigkeit
— property of being viable
German:
Überlebensfähigkeit
— property of being viable
German:
Gangbarkeit
— property of being viable
German:
Viabilität
— property of being viable
German:
Entwicklungsfähigkeit
— property of being viable
Italian:
fattibilità
— property of being viable
Italian:
vitalità
— property of being viable
Italian:
vivibilità
— property of being viable
Korean:
생존능력
(saengjonneungnyeok)
— property of being viable
Manx:
yn-veaghey
— property of being viable
Portuguese:
viabilidade
— property of being viable
Russian:
жизнеспосо́бность
(žiznesposóbnostʹ)
— property of being viable
Spanish:
viabilidad
— property of being viable
Swedish:
livsduglighet
— property of being viable
Turkish:
yaşanabilirlik
— property of being viable
