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Expandable vs Expendable - What's the difference?

expandable | expendable |

As adjectives the difference between expandable and expendable

is that expandable is having the capacity to be expanded while expendable is able to be expended; not inexhaustible.

As nouns the difference between expandable and expendable

is that expandable is anything that can be expanded while expendable is an expendable person or object; usually used in the plural.

expandable

English

Adjective

(head)
  • Having the capacity to be expanded.
    • an expandable baton
    an expandable tree of data on a computer display

    See also

    * inflatable

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Anything that can be expanded.
    • Mobile homes include doublewides, expandables , and single units.

    expendable

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Able to be expended; not inexhaustible.
    • Oil and other expendable resources are frequently the subject of military disputes.
  • Designed for a single use; not reusable.
    • The anti-aircraft rocket is fired from an expendable launch platform.
  • Not essential or mandatory in order to achieve a goal.
    • The research department was deemed expendable , and its funding was not renewed.
  • That which is regarded as not worth preserving or saving; able to be sacrificed.
    • In the internecine rivalries of large corporations, whole departments may become expendable in the execution of one executive's power play.

    Synonyms

    * (not inexhaustible ): exhaustible, finite, limited * (not reusable ): dispensable, disposable, throwaway * (not essential or mandatory ): adjunct, dispensable, redundant, superfluous * (not worth saving or preserving ): collateral, inconsiderable, sacrificable, worthless

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An expendable person or object; usually used in the plural.
    • Private Johnson was afraid the Lieutenant considered him an expendable , since he was always picked as point man.

    Derived terms

    * expendability * expendably