collapsible

adjective

col·​laps·​ible kə-ˈlap-sə-bəl 

: able to be folded into a more compact shape

a collapsible stepladder

The collapsible bikes were created in London with the city commuter in mind …

—Karen Loutzenheiser

Hagrid wouldn't let Harry buy a solid gold cauldron, either … but they got a nice set of scales for weighing potion ingredients and a collapsible brass telescope.

—J. K. Rowling

also, of a part of a graphical user interface : able to be hidden or to have certain components (such as options in a menu) hidden by the user when not needed

The use of a collapsible menu keeps the navigation less cluttered, but keeps all functionality at your fingertips.

—Susan Perschke

collapsibility

kə-ˌlap-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Examples of collapsible in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bring a collapsible water bowl, cat-friendly wet wipes, a small bag of their regular food, and a portable litter box (for longer trips). —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025

Instead, reach for a collapsible water bottle like this one from Taketoday. —Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2025

Ideal for hitting the farmers market, shopping the garden section at Home Depot, or lugging groceries home from Trader Joe’s, there are endless uses for this collapsible cart. —Will Porter, Architectural Digest, 13 Feb. 2025

Some shanties are nylon and collapsible while others are wooden and metal structures akin to a small shed. —Brian Kaiser, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1843, in the meaning defined above