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.
Synonyms
Examples of flammable in a Sentence
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 5 June 2024
Some maintained flammable liquid that added fuel to the fire.
—Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2024
No smoking unless within a closed vehicle, residence, or within a recreation or improved campsite and away from flammable matierals.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 22 May 2024
Paracelsus himself synthesized diethyl ether, a sweet-smelling, highly flammable hallucinogenic anaesthetic that could induce euphoria.
—Frederick Kaufman, Harper's Magazine, 22 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flammable 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flammable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flammable
Cite this Entry
“Flammable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flammable. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.
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flammable
adjective
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