servicable

Servicable is an adjective meaning capable of being serviced, repaired, or maintained, and thus suitable for continued use. It describes objects or systems that can be brought back to an operational state through maintenance or repair, rather than being permanently unusable. In practice, the term often implies that the item is practical to fix and worth keeping in service.

The word is closely related to serviceable, with the latter being the more common spelling in modern usage. Servicable is considered a variant form and is more frequently encountered in older texts or in certain regional varieties of English. Some dictionaries classify servicable as archaic or less common, though it remains intelligible to readers and engineers familiar with historical or technical writing.

Usage notes and examples: a servicable piece of equipment may require routine maintenance or a simple repair to remain functional; after an overhaul, the generator was found to be servicable for another season. In technical or inventory contexts, items described as servicable are those that can be operated or repaired rather than discarded.

Etymology: the form derives from service plus the suffix -able, mirroring the construction of serviceable. The spelling variation reflects historical orthographic differences rather than a change in meaning. See also serviceable, repairable, maintainable.