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.

FLAMMABLE definition: easily set on fire; combustible; inflammable. See examples of flammable used in a sentence.

Unpaid military and security forces, a demoralised public service, armies of unemployed youth and an increasingly impoverished mass population became the core elements of a flammable society.

Usage: Flammable and inflammable are interchangeable when used of the properties of materials. Flammable is, however, often preferred for warning labels as there is less likelihood of …

Definition of flammable adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Dec 14, 2025 · Back-formation from inflammable, which is used to avoid confusion with non-flammable, as the prefix in- is often used to mean "un-; non-", although it was originally meant in a sense closely …

Britannica Dictionary definition of FLAMMABLE [more flammable; most flammable] : capable of being set on fire and of burning quickly a flammable liquid a highly flammable fabric

Liable to catch fire; readily combustible; inflammable.... Click for English pronunciations, examples sentences, video.

Flammable and inflammable sound like they are antonyms, or opposites. In fact, they are synonyms, words that have the same meaning. Both flammable and inflammable mean "quick to catch fire and …

Both flammable and inflammable mean the same thing—despite the fact that they look like opposites. Nonflammable for things that don't burn is an unambiguous option.