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Glite Dictionary
avoidable

avoidable

15 3.1
Something you can prevent by taking action
  • adjective
  • /əˈvɔɪdəbəl/
translation icon : evitable
  • The injury was completely avoidable if proper safety measures had been in place.
  • avoidable death
  • avoidable hospital admissions
  • avoidable delays

There were definitely some avoidable mistakes made that didn't need to happen.

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Examples

  • If war is avoidable, then we can and must eliminate war.

    Academic text (2011)

  • There were definitely some avoidable mistakes made that didn't need to happen.

    Bernadette Banner

  • This is a very avoidable situation.

  • Not the end of the world, but it's certainly a waste of time and it's certainly avoidable, so why not avoid it?

  • The good news is this is completely avoidable in the age of social media.

    Blog text (4)

  • This was so avoidable, but it's typical...

    Exit (2020)

  • All the damage we're gonna see in a few minutes, totally avoidable, every bit of it since the 1920s at least.

    The Lost Century: And How to Reclaim It (2023)

  • In an effort to improve patient outcomes, there has been a global initiative to prevent avoidable adverse events.

    Academic text (2007)

  • A welcome trend has been renewed attention to reducing avoidable deaths among children.

    Academic text (2013)

  • I think maybe the saddest part of Miranda Tully's death is that it was completely avoidable.

    Blue Hour: The Disappearance of Nick Brandreth (2023)

Synonyms

preventable
vsavoidable
36 3.5

Someone can stop it by acting before it happens

is broader, covering any case that can be prevented or blocked
evitable
vsavoidable
1 9.9

Something you can avoid

is the general possibility of being prevented or not allowed to happen
stoppable
vsavoidable
1 3.4

Can be made to end

focuses more on preventing occurrence rather than stopping continuation
escapable
vsavoidable
1 4.4

That you can avoid or get away from

is about preventing or blocking occurrence rather than leaving or escaping from it
suppressible
vsavoidable
1 6.8

Something you can stop by action such as medicine

is about preventing something from happening rather than controlling its growth
avertible
vsavoidable
7.4

Something you can avoid before it happens

is the general possibility of being prevented or not allowed to happen
avertable
vsavoidable
6.5

Possible to prevent by taking action

is the general possibility of being prevented or not allowed to happen

Antonyms

inevitable
467 4.6

Certain to happen and cannot be stopped

How Preventable

preventable
36 3.5
avoidable
15 3.1
unavoidable
45 3.8
inevitable
467 4.6

Surface Forms

avoidable positive
avoider comparative
avoidablest superlative

Morphology

avoidable = avoid (transparent) = avoid + able

Productive adjectival formation from the verb 'avoid' with '-able' meaning 'able to be avoided', straightforward for learners.

Etymology

Avoidable comes from the verb avoid, which long ago meant 'to turn away' or 'keep away' and is like void ('empty' or 'not there'). So something avoidable is something you can 'turn away' or stop from happening, meaning it can be prevented.