portability

noun

por·​ta·​bil·​i·​ty ˌpȯr-tə-ˈbi-lə-tē How to pronounce portability (audio)
plural portabilities
1
: the quality or state of being portable
2
: the transferability of a worker's benefits from one pension fund to another when the worker changes jobs

Examples of portability in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Gummies win on convenience, portability and taste, but quality varies widely by brand. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 24 June 2026 Some tiny houses seem to prioritize portability over comfort, but the Apex takes the opposite approach. — Adam Williams july 04, New Atlas, 4 July 2026 The early American songs and tunes were characterized by their simplicity and portability. — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026 Others rave about the portability, ease of use, and USB-rechargeable format, which eliminates the need for traveling with batteries. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for portability

Word History

First Known Use

1667, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of portability was in 1667

Rhymes for portability

See All Rhymes for portability

Browse Nearby Words

portabella
portability
portable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Portability.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/portability. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All