flammable
adjective
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Why Inflammable Is Not the Opposite of Flammable
Combustible and incombustible are opposites but flammable and inflammable are synonyms. Why? The in- of incombustible is a common prefix meaning "not," but the in- of inflammable is a different prefix. Inflammable comes from Latin inflammare ("to inflame"), itself from in- (here meaning "in" or "into") plus flammare ("to flame"). Flammable also comes from flammare. In the early 20th century, firefighters worried that people might think inflammable meant "not able to catch fire," so they adopted flammable and nonflammable as official safety labels and encouraged their use to prevent confusion. In general use, flammable is now the preferred term for describing things that can catch fire, but inflammable is still occasionally used with that meaning as well.
Examples of flammable in a Sentence
Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 26 July 2025
Nonnative grasses can be extremely flammable and spread quickly, increasing the risk and intensity of a wildfire.
—John Leos, AZCentral.com, 15 July 2025
Instead, make sure that the space is wide open, far away from anything that may be flammable.
—Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
Different types of electronics are powered by various batteries, and especially those that use lithium batteries can be flammable when disposed of improperly.
—Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flammable
Cite this Entry
“Flammable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flammable. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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flammable
adjective
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