interchangeable

Etymology

interchange +‎ -able

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪntɚˈtʃeɪndʒəbl̩/, [ɪɾ̃ɚˈtʃeɪndʒəbl̩]

Adjective

interchangeable (not comparable)

1. Freely substitutable. That may be swapped at will.

   Eli Whitney's development of interchangeable parts was a breakthrough for modern manufacturing. Prior to that each part had to be made custom.

   • 2014, Ian Jack, "Is this the end of Britishness", The Guardian, 16 September 2014:

     The English, until relatively recently, seem to have imagined “English” and “British” to be interchangeable, as if Britain was just a bigger England.

Etymology

From interchanger +‎ -able

Adjective

interchangeable (plural interchangeables)

1. interchangeable

Further reading

• “interchangeable” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).