inflammability
inflammability Lexical Profile
inflammability Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The quality or state of being easily set on fire and capable of burning rapidly.
"The chemical laboratory implemented strict storage protocols due to the high inflammability of the solvents."
A tendency to become easily excited, angered, or aroused into strong emotion or conflict.
"The diplomat spoke with extreme caution, well aware of the political inflammability of the border dispute."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because the prefix 'in-' here derives from the Latin for 'into' (to set into flame) rather than 'not', 'inflammability' and 'flammability' are synonyms; however, modern safety standards strongly favor 'flammability' to avoid dangerous misinterpretation.
• Rhymes for inflammability
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Formed in the early 17th century from the adjective 'inflammable' plus '-ity', ultimately tracing back to the Latin verb 'inflammare' ('to set on fire'), from 'in-' ('into') and 'flamma' ('flame').