flammable
adjective
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Why Inflammable Is Not the Opposite of Flammable
Combustible and incombustible are opposites but flammable and inflammable are synonyms. Why? The in- of incombustible is a common prefix meaning "not," but the in- of inflammable is a different prefix. Inflammable comes from Latin inflammare ("to inflame"), itself from in- (here meaning "in" or "into") plus flammare ("to flame"). Flammable also comes from flammare. In the early 20th century, firefighters worried that people might think inflammable meant "not able to catch fire," so they adopted flammable and nonflammable as official safety labels and encouraged their use to prevent confusion. In general use, flammable is now the preferred term for describing things that can catch fire, but inflammable is still occasionally used with that meaning as well.
Examples of flammable in a Sentence
Brett Barrouquere, Arkansas Online, 16 May 2025
This time, instead of a bomb, the mother (guest star Piper Perabo) of a child patient who had gone unresponsive after brain surgery brings a highly flammable acetylene tank into the operating room and forces Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) to perform a high-risk surgery to save her daughter.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
The wooden structure, the highly flammable roof and the litter allowed to accumulate over decades in a void between the earth and the stand’s wooden floorboards were accidents waiting to happen.
—Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 10 May 2025
Obey local laws regarding open fires, including campfires; Keep all flammable objects away from fire.
—Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flammable
Cite this Entry
“Flammable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flammable. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
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flammable
adjective
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