interoperable

English

Etymology

From interoperate +‎ -able; alternatively inter- +‎ operable.

Adjective

interoperable (not comparable)

1. (computing) (of a system or device) Able to communicate, and exchange data with another system or device.
   • 2020 September 7, Cory Doctorow, “IP”, in Locus Magazine‎^[1]:

     Patents exist as incentive for inventors to reveal the workings of their inventions; to receive a patent, you must provide the patent office with a functional description of your invention, which is then published. Even though others may not copy your invention during the patent period, they can study your patent filings and use them to figure out how to do the same thing in different ways, or how to make an interoperable add-on to your invention.

   • 2022, October 13, Binyamin Applebaum, "It Shouldn’t Matter So Much Whether Elon Musk Buys Twitter", The New York Times

     A person with a Gmail account can send messages to a person with a Yahoo account because email systems are interoperable.

2. (military) (of armed forces) Operationally compatible with other armed forces.

Derived terms

• interoperability

Related terms

• interoperate

Translations

Translations

• German: interoperabel, kompatibel (de)
• Greek: διαλειτουργικός (el) (dialeitourgikós)

Spanish

Adjective

interoperable m or f (masculine and feminine plural interoperables)

1. interoperable