permeable

adjective

per·​me·​able ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl 

: capable of being permeated : penetrable

especially : having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through

a permeable membrane

permeable limestone

Did you know?

“Our landscapes are changing … they’re becoming less permeable to wildlife at the precise moment animals need to move most,” writes Ben Goldfarb in his book Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet. He’s describing the effects of highway infrastructure and at the same time clearly demonstrating the meaning of permeable, a word that traces back to a combination of the prefix per-, meaning “through,” and the Latin verb meare, meaning “to go” or “to pass.” Accordingly, a permeable landscape—such as one where humans have constructed wildlife overpasses—is one that allows animals to pass and spread through unimpeded. Permeable’s relative, the verb permeate (“to spread or diffuse through”) is another commonly used meare descendent, but other relations haven’t managed to permeate the language quite so widely, such as meatus (“a natural body passage”), congé (“a formal permission to depart”), and irremeable (“offering no possibility of return”).

Synonyms

• passable
• penetrable
• pervious
• porous

Examples of permeable in a Sentence

The cell has a permeable membrane.

a permeable fabric that allows your body heat to escape will be much more comfortable in the summertime

Recent Examples on the Web

An urban orchard boasting 80 varieties of fruit trees, a 15,000-square-foot permeable parking lot with a recycled rainwater system, and a solar flower to help provide electricity for the community gardens and farmers market were all completed in 2015. —Drake Bentley, Journal Sentinel, 4 Nov. 2024

And, before it was breached by ISIS, the Iraqi-Syrian border had been permeable for generations, owing to the nature of the terrain and the large tribal confederations on either side whose economic interests require that the border not impede their movements. —Steven Simon, Foreign Affairs, 26 Aug. 2014

As the bodies should decay as fast as possible, the underground should be partially permeable to air and water, like in sand and chalk soils. —David Bressan, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Unlike solid concrete walls, these semi permeable hardscapes add beauty and ecological value to your landscape. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 31 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

permeable

adjective

per·​me·​able ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl 

: having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through

a permeable membrane

permeable limestone

Medical Definition

permeable

adjective

per·​me·​able ˈpər-mē-ə-bəl 

: capable of being permeated

especially : having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through

a permeable membrane