edible

1 of 2

adjective

ed·​i·​ble ˈe-də-bəl 

: fit to be eaten : eatable

edibility

ˌe-də-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

edibleness

ˈe-də-bəl-nəs 

noun

edible

2 of 2

noun

plural edibles

1

: something that is suitable or safe to eat : something edible

… growing mushrooms is becoming an increasingly popular activity. Growers come to Telluride for workshops in cultivating … exotic edibles …

—Barbara W. Fash et al.

: a food item

… there were not many complaints about the quality of the edibles and potables dispensed in the … reception room …

—James Lardner

Eating all their meals out, the only edibles they keep in their home are chocolate kisses.

—Shelley Levitt and Mary Huzinec

2

: any of various food items containing THC

Cannabis edibles include chocolates, cookies, and gummies, and entrepreneurs are coming up with new cannabis-infused concoctions all the time.

—Jack Delaney

Like alcohol, edibles can only be sold legally at licensed "dispensaries" to those 21 or older.

—Sharlene Johnson

Synonyms

Adjective

• comestible
• eatable
• eating
• esculent

Noun

• bread
• chow
• chuck [chiefly West]
• comestibles
• eatables
• eats
• fare
• food
• foodstuffs
• grub
• meat
• provender
• provisions
• table
• tucker [chiefly Australian]
• viands
• victuals
• vittles

Examples of edible in a Sentence

Adjective

a plant with edible leaves

All of the decorations on the gingerbread house were edible.

Noun

even if the storm turns out to be a blizzard, there are enough edibles in the refrigerator to last us a week

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Some of the edible dioramas are larger than a television set. —Jennifer Maas, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024

Instead, at the Vineyard Farmers Market, Raines sells trays of microgreens, edible seedlings of herbs and veggies, eaten raw in salads or on sandwiches. —Terry Collins, USA TODAY, 4 Nov. 2024

Noun

Recalls:More cases, additional death reported in nationwide Boar's Head deli meat listeria outbreak What did FDA testing find in micro-dosing mushroom edibles? —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 9 Aug. 2024

And there’s the absurd deception concocted by Kitty (Ralph), a botanist finding her entrepreneurial groove with cannabis edibles, and Alice (Mullally), a rock singer with a deep appreciation for Kitty’s wares. —Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Late Latin edibilis, from Latin edere to eat — more at eat

First Known Use

Adjective

1594, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1661, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

edible

adjective

ed·​i·​ble ˈed-ə-bəl 

: fit or safe to be eaten

edible fruit

edibility

ˌed-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

edible noun