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graspable

graspable

1 3.8
Easy to understand or learn
  • adjective
  • /ˈɡræspəbl/
translation icon : comprensible
  • It's understandable that graphic artists want to devise the best possible image they can, but a persuasive, easily graspable representation of the cause often has more utility.

And then scientists are so good at coming up with metaphors to try and make their highly complex work graspable.

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Examples

  • Through his writing and lectures, Said had the ability to make the most complex worldly and historical processes so simple and graspable, without ever reducing their sophistication or producing new orthodoxies that could somehow explain and comprehend everything.

    Academic text (2004)
  • It's intuitive and it is easily graspable by people who are not self identified quants.

  • The role of creative director is truly an obscure one, and this article made it graspable for me.

    Blog text (1)
  • I would prefer a better balance of symbolism and a graspable storyline.

    Blog text (20)
  • The teacher explained the complex theory in a way that made it graspable for all the students.

  • She used simple diagrams to make her presentation graspable for everyone attending.

  • The author wrote the book in an engaging style that made the subject matter graspable even for beginners.

Synonyms

understandable
vsgraspable
171 1.6

Clear and easy to see what it means or why someone feels that way

is the same idea but emphasizes direct mental apprehension
accessible
vsgraspable
45 3.4

A text or idea easy to understand

focuses more narrowly on being mentally apprehendable than on broad appeal
comprehensible
vsgraspable
11 3.7

Easy to understand

focuses more on being mentally apprehended rather than style or tone
intelligible
vsgraspable
8 4.4

Easy to hear and understand

highlights being mentally apprehendable rather than just clearly written
digestible
vsgraspable
4 3.9

Easy to understand and remember

emphasizes simple mental apprehension rather than ease of absorption
knowable
vsgraspable
4 4.6

Something you can learn or understand

stresses being easily grasped mentally rather than only possible to learn
interpretable
vsgraspable
1 5.7

Able to be understood or explained

is more about being immediately mentally apprehensible than open to interpretation
decipherable
vsgraspable
1 3.7

Easy to read or understand

is more generally easy to apprehend mentally rather than decoded
scannable
vsgraspable
1 3.7

An item that a scanner or person can read quickly

refers more broadly to being mentally apprehendable, not only quick reading
apprehensible
vsgraspable
1 7.5

Most people can understand it easily

places slightly more weight on being easy to apprehend mentally
fathomable
vsgraspable
1 4.9

Easy to understand

implies easier mental apprehension rather than just eventual understanding
parsable
vsgraspable
  • Specialized
1 6.0

Easy to read and understand for a person or a computer

is about human mental apprehension rather than technical analysis
comprehendible
vsgraspable
3.7

Easy to understand

stresses easy mental apprehension rather than mere possibility of comprehension
scrutable
vsgraspable
7.0

Easy to understand

centers more on clear mental apprehension than on removing mystery
decodable
vsgraspable
4.0

Easy to read because words use regular letter sounds

focuses on straightforward mental apprehension beyond rule based reading
figure-outable
vsgraspable
  • Informal
7.7

Someone can understand or solve it if they try

implies easier immediate apprehension rather than effortful figuring out

Antonyms

68 6.3

Not clear because it can have more than one meaning

Difficult or impossible to understand

How Understandable

transparent
43 3.5
clear
1.0
graspable
1 3.8
unclear
207 3.9

Surface Forms

graspable positive

Morphology

graspable = grasp (transparent) = grasp + able

Standard adjectival formation from the verb 'grasp' meaning 'capable of being grasped/understood', which is directly inferable by learners.

Etymology

Graspable comes from the simple verb grasp meaning 'to hold' plus the ending -able meaning 'can be'. Think of an idea you can hold in your hand: if you can 'grasp' it, you can understand it, so graspable means something you can understand.