Origin: Latin suffix -able
Inflatable has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
A boat or dinghy that may be inflated when needed.
"The inflatable boat was easy to set up and launch right on the shore."
In plain English: An inflatable is something you fill with air to make it big and bouncy, like a pool floatie.
"The inflatable was a popular toy for children at the pool party."
Able to be inflated or blown up.
"The inflatable boat was easy to set up because it could be filled with air in just a few minutes."
In plain English: Something that is inflatable can be made bigger by blowing air into it and smaller when you let the air out.
"They set up an inflatable pool in their backyard for the kids to play in."
Usage: While often used casually for objects like pool toys, the term is technically restricted to items designed specifically to hold air under pressure; do not apply it metaphorically to abstract concepts unless clearly marked as informal usage. Avoid confusing this adjective with "expandable," which implies growth without necessarily involving inflation.
The word inflatable comes from combining the verb to inflate with the suffix -able. It literally means something that is capable of being filled with air or gas.