Able to be moved, conveyed, or shifted from one person, place, or situation to another. Capable of being transferred or assigned to someone else.
From Latin transferre (to carry across) combined with the suffix -able meaning 'capable of being'. The word entered English in the 17th century, originally used in legal contexts for property rights, then expanded to describe skills, tickets, and other moveable assets.
The concept of transferability is fundamental to modern economics and law - from transferable skills that help people change careers to transferable securities that can be traded. Interestingly, some things we assume are transferable, like airline tickets, often have complex restrictions that limit their actual transferability.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.