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
Jenny Jarvie, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2025
But the Warriors traded no risk, no reward for a flammable, ceiling-raising swing.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 9 Feb. 2025
Fire officials recommend securing outdoor objects that could be blown away by the winds, ensuring that no flammable materials are left exposed, and having emergency plans in place in case evacuations become necessary.
—Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025
In 2023, just a couple of months before Starliner was supposed to launch on the crew test flight, officials discovered a design problem with Starliner's parachutes and found that Boeing installed flammable tape inside the capsule's cockpit.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 4 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for flammable 
Dictionary Entries Near flammable
Cite this Entry
“Flammable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flammable. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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flammable
adjective
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