1
: easily led, taught, or controlled : docile
2
: capable of being bid

Did you know?

A biddable individual is someone you can issue an order to—that is, someone who will do your bidding. The word dates to the late 18th century, and currently our earliest evidence for it is a quote in the Scottish National Dictionary. There are a number of words in English that do what biddable does. Tractable, amenable, and docile are three of them. Biddable is often applied to children and indicates a ready, constant inclination to follow orders, requests, and suggestions. Tractable suggests characteristics that make for easy guiding, leading, ordering, or managing; its antonym intractable (as in "intractable problems") is more common. Amenable indicates a disposition to be agreeable or complaisant as well as a lack of assertive independence. Docile can stress a disposition to submit, either due to guidance and control or to imposition and oppression.

Examples of biddable in a Sentence

The children became less biddable as they grew older. the elderly widower was one of the more biddable and cooperative residents at the nursing home
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.
Disney is boosting its advertising capabilities for live events, with third-party partnerships, a new certification program for live sports and entertainment as well as biddable deals for live sports. Dade Hayes, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2025 The technical review is meant to evaluate the structure’s design to ensure that a project is biddable, buildable, cost-effective and maintainable. Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 6 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of biddable was circa 1768

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Dictionary Entries Near biddable

Cite this Entry

“Biddable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biddable. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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