interchangeable — English Dictionary

Adjective

1. Freely substitutable; that may be swapped at will.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

   Synonyms

   equivalent

   Examples

   Eli Whitney's development of interchangeable parts was a breakthrough for modern manufacturing. Prior to that, each part had to be made custom.

   More examples (1)

   Constructional features of the railbus include the use of rubber suspension for axlebox/underframe and underframe/body mountings, the use of B.U.T. power transmission equipment, many components of which are interchangeable with those on British Railways standard railcars, power-operated sliding doors, and an absence of normal sidebuffers or drawgear.

   Sometimes the same words mean opposite things. Sometimes the opposite is true. Shock absorbers are called shocks. Slow down and slow up are interchangeable.

   More examples (1)

   The English, until relatively recently, seem to have imagined “English” and “British” to be interchangeable, as if Britain was just a bigger England.

2. Following each other in alternate succession; alternating.

   Usage

   • not-comparable

Noun

1. Anything that can be interchanged; a substitute.

Adjective

1. (mathematics, logic) such that the arguments or roles can be interchanged

   Examples

   the arguments of the symmetric relation, ‘is a sister of,’ are interchangeable

2. capable of replacing or changing places with something else; permitting mutual substitution without loss of function or suitability

   Synonyms

   exchangeablesimilarstandardizedstandardised

   Examples

   interchangeable electric outlets

   interchangeable parts