Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🎸 Ease of playing 🎲 Fun and ease 🏟️ Suitability for play
playability

playability

4.9
How safe and suitable a field or surface is for use in a game
  • noun
  • /ˌpleɪəˈbɪlɪti/
  • Specialized
translation icon : jugabilidad
  • The seeds need moisture, but we are under pressure to keep fairways firm and dry for the sake of playability.

Examples

  • After heavy rainfall, the grounds crew assessed the playability of the soccer pitch.

  • The coach evaluated the field's playability before allowing the team to practice.

  • The city joined forces with the Office of Sustainable Development, Solid Waste & Recycling Division, and Portland Parks and Recreation departments to improve soil conditions and playability on the field.

    Academic text (2001)

  • To ensure playability, the maintenance team regularly checks for uneven surfaces on the court.

Surface Forms

playability singular
playabilities plural

Morphology

playability = playable (transparent) = play + able + ity

Derived from 'playable' by adding '-ity'; the sense 'suitability of a surface/venue for play' is a direct extension of 'playable'.

Etymology

Playability comes from play ('to play') plus -able ('able to be') and -ity ('state or quality'). So playability is the 'state of being able to be played', and for a field or surface it means whether it is safe and suitable for play.