dividable

Dividable is an adjective meaning capable of being divided into parts. In everyday language it can describe objects, resources, or plans that can be partitioned into smaller pieces. In mathematics and precision writing, however, the preferred term for a number that can be divided by another without a remainder is divisible; divisibility is the relation, and divisors are the numbers by which division occurs.

Usage notes: The word dividable can appear in non-technical contexts or as a less common or archaic variant. For example, one might say a field is dividable into four equal plots or a cake is dividable into eight slices. When discussing integers, it is more common to say that a number is divisible by another (for example, 12 is divisible by 3) rather than saying it is dividable by 3.

Etymology: Dividable derives from the Latin dividere, meaning to divide, and through Old French divisable, with the suffix -able.

Relation to related terms: Divisible is the standard term in number theory for describing a property of integers with respect to division. Divisibility is the mathematical relation, while divisors are the numbers that divide another. The concepts are closely tied to quotient, remainder, and fraction.

See also: Divisibility, Divisible, Divisor, Dividend, Quotient, Fraction.