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.
Synonyms
Examples of flammable in a Sentence
Alexis Simmerman, Austin American-Statesman, 11 Oct. 2024
Your environment must be well-ventilated, open, and not near cigarettes, flames, or flammable substances.
—Katixa Espinoza, Them, 10 Oct. 2024
Five cars carried a toxic, flammable gas called vinyl chloride that can cause certain cancers.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2024
That’s particularly true when an airstrike ignites flammable material on the ground, such as munitions or fuel.
—Anders Hagstrom, Fox News, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flammable 
Dictionary Entries Near flammable
Cite this Entry
“Flammable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flammable. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
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flammable
adjective
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