Expugnabilis

Expugnabilis is a Latin adjective meaning "able to be taken by assault" or "conquerable." It derives from the verb expugno, expugnare, "to seize by force," with the suffix -bilis indicating capability. The neuter form is expugnabile; the masculine and feminine forms are expugnabiles, with standard endings for adjectives of the first/second declension. In translation, the term is often rendered as "expugnable" or "capable of being captured."

In classical and medieval Latin, expugnabilis describes fortifications, towns, or positions that could be captured by an attacking force. It distinguishes vulnerability to a siege from the act of taking, which would be expressed by expugnatio, "the taking by assault." The phrase oppidum expugnabile, for instance, means a town that can be captured.

Usage notes: expugnabilis emphasizes potential vulnerability rather than the execution of capture. It appears in descriptive passages of military engineering, sieges, and strategic planning, where authors discuss which locations are expugnables and which are more resistant to assault.

Modern relevance is primarily linguistic and historical. The related noun expugnatio and the broader concept of expugnability are used in studies of siege warfare, fortification design, and the evaluation of military resilience in ancient and medieval contexts.

See also: expugnatio, siege, fortress, siege warfare, conquest.