Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Capable of existing or performing in harmonious, agreeable, or congenial combination with another or others.
  • adjective Capable of orderly, efficient integration and operation with other elements in a system with no modification or conversion required.
  • adjective Capable of forming a chemically or biochemically stable system.
  • adjective Medicine Capable of being grafted, transfused, or transplanted from one individual to another without rejection.
  • noun A device, such as a computer or computer software, that can be integrated into or used with another device or system of its type.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Capable of coexisting or being found together in the same subject; consistent; reconcilable: now followed by with, formerly sometimes by to.
  • Capable of existing together in harmony; suitable; agreeable; congenial; congruous.
  • Synonyms Consistent (with), accordant (with), congruous (with), congenial (to), in keeping (with). For comparison, see incompatible.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Capable of existing in harmony; congruous; suitable; not repugnant; -- usually followed by with.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Capable of easy interaction.
  • adjective Able to get along well.
  • noun Something that is compatible with something else.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective capable of forming a homogeneous mixture that neither separates nor is altered by chemical interaction
  • adjective capable of being used with or connected to other devices or components without modification
  • adjective able to exist and perform in harmonious or agreeable combination

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Medieval Latin compatībilis, from Late Latin compatī, to sympathize; see compassion.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

from Middle French compatible, from Medieval Latin compatibilis ("in compatible beneficium, a benefice which could be held together with another one"), from Late Latin compati ("to suffer with")

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