foldable

1 of 2

adjective

fold·​able ˈfōl-də-bəl 

: capable of being folded (as for storage) : folding

a foldable chair

… as he wanders the country and the globe with just the clothes on his back, his expired passport, a debit card and a foldable toothbrush.

—David Hendricks

foldable

2 of 2

noun

plural foldables

: something that can be folded

Vertical rows of shelves hold all the foldables like sweaters and polo shirts.

—House Beautiful

especially : a device (such as a tablet computer or smartphone) that can be folded for storage

Foldables are increasingly becoming a normal part of the tech community. Just look at the handful of foldable smartphones around, so don't expect this trend to fizzle out anytime soon.

—Spy

Examples of foldable in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The primary new idea there is foldable screens, which effectively allow your phone to turn into a tablet—though tablet sales have slowed too. —Caroline Mimbs Nyce, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2024

Weighing just 308g, the foldable P58BT ANC somehow feel lighter thanks to the padded headband and the soft ear cushions. —Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Noun

This should help the device multitask better—something foldables are built to do. —Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 13 Aug. 2024

Apple’s falling China sales Honor, Xiaomi and Huawei have all launched foldables, a category Apple has yet to enter. —Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

fold entry 1 + -able

Noun

derivative of foldable entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1648, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1904, in the meaning defined above