Potable
adj.capable, hopefulprofessional
What it means
Safe and suitable for people to drink.
Reach for it when making a precise safety claim about water or another liquid
After laboratory testing, the hillside spring was declared potable.
Choose between these
5- playful
drink-worthy
for an informal judgment that includes palatability
not when Drink-worthy is not a safety standard and should never replace testing.
- everyday
when plain language should confirm that a liquid can be consumed
not when Drinkable can also mean merely tolerable in taste and may not certify safety.
- everyday
safe to drink
if an unmistakable public instruction matters more than brevity
not when Safe to drink is clear but cannot serve every compact technical label.
- professional
treated
if a process has been applied to improve water quality
not when Treated water is not automatically potable unless the treatment succeeded.
- formal
when water is healthful and free from harmful contamination
not when Wholesome is old-fashioned for water and can suggest moral goodness elsewhere.
Said against
3- nonpotable
- contaminated
- undrinkable
It naturally appears in
3- potable water
Each shelter stored enough potable water for three days.
- make water potable
Boiling alone may not make water potable when some chemicals are present.
- potable supply
The new well restored a dependable potable supply to the island.
Where this comes from
- wiktionary, English adjective sense: fit for drinking opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.