Interoperable

adj.capable, hopefulprofessional

What it means

Able to exchange and make effective use of information with another system.

Reach for it when describing systems that have passed a defined cross-operation test

The interoperable registers preserve the meaning of each status during transfer.

playful
plug-compatible
components can be substituted through a shared interface
not when Plug-compatible is hardware-leaning and narrower than semantic interoperability.
everyday
connected
a communication path exists
not when Connected systems can exchange unusable or misinterpreted information.
professional
compatible
the products can work together without conflict
not when Compatible can mean coexistence and not meaningful data exchange.
professional
integrated
parts are already connected in one functioning arrangement
not when Integrated systems may depend on a one-off connector rather than open interoperability.
professional
portable
software or data can move between environments
not when Portable does not imply simultaneous cooperation after the move.
formal
standards-compliant
implementation follows a named standard
not when Compliance with the same standard does not ensure two implementations work together.

interoperable system
An interoperable system retains provenance when records cross boundaries.
fully interoperable
The vendors called the tools fully interoperable before testing deletion and recovery.
interoperable format
An interoperable format needs shared semantics as well as valid syntax.

Interoperable is contextual, not universal. The counterpart systems, versions, operations, semantics, and tests must be named.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.