collectable

English

Alternative forms

• collectible (US)

Etymology

Etymology tree

English collect

Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom

Proto-Italic *-ðlom

Proto-Italic *-ðlis

Latin -bilis

Latin -ābilis

Old French -ablebor.

Middle English -able

English -able

English collectable

From collect + -able.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

Adjective

collectable (not comparable)

1. Suitable for collecting.

Derived terms

• noncollectable
• uncollectable

Noun

collectable (plural collectables)

1. Anything that someone might want to collect.
   • 2006, Katie Salen Tekinbas, Eric Zimmerman, The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology, page 551:

     The mindset of making collectables runs against that of making games—if you succeed in the collectable department then there is a tendency to keep new players out and to drive old ones away because of escalating prices.

   • 2011, Charles Beelaerts, Investing in Collectables:

     If you invest in collectables overseas, you can make a profit or loss on currency exchange rates as well as a gain or loss on movements in intrinsic capital value.

Synonyms

• collector's item

Translations

collectable — see collector's item