Risible
/ˈrɪz.ə.bəl/noun
Causing laughter or capable of being laughed at.
Did you know?Risible comes from Latin risibilis, tied to ridere, the same root behind words like ridicule and deride—basically, the language of laughter and contempt were born together.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₁rei-
“to laugh, smile”
Latin
Latin
ridēre
“to laugh”
Latin
Latin
rīsibilis
“laughable, capable of being laughed at”
Middle French
Old French
risible
“laughable”
Late Middle English
English
risible
“provoking laughter; ridiculous”
Modern English
English
risible
“causing laughter or contempt”