convertible

convertible — noun

1. a car whose roof can be lowered or detached for open-air driving.

1.nounB1
Definition

a car whose roof can be lowered or detached for open-air driving.

Example

Theo parked his blue convertible in the garage and raised the roof before the storm.

possessive + convertible: his blue convertible

Rohan bought a used convertible from a local dealer for twelve thousand dollars last month.

Common collocations
  • drive a convertible
  • buy a convertible
  • red convertible
  • used convertible
  • rent a convertible
Synonyms
  • cabriolet

    more formal and less common; often used in European car brochures

  • roadster

    specifically a two-seater sports car, not all convertibles

  • drophead

    vintage British term, now rare outside luxury brands like Rolls-Royce

  • open-top

    describes the style rather than a specific vehicle category

Antonyms
  • sedan

    a car with a fixed solid roof

  • coupe

    a fixed-roof two-door car

Grammar Patterns

a/the convertible

convertibles (plural)

Usage Note

Do not confuse with 'cabriolet' — 'convertible' is the standard everyday term in American and British English. 'Drophead' is a vintage British synonym rarely used today.

Common Mistakes

I bought a new convertible car.
I bought a new convertible.
when referring to the vehicle, 'convertible' alone functions as a noun; adding 'car' is redundant.

convertible — adjective

Word family

  • convert
    verbB1
  • conversion
    nounB2
  • converter
    nounC1
  • inconvertible
    adjectiveC2
  • unconverted
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Convertible is the standard everyday term in both American and British English for a car whose roof folds or comes off. Cabriolet is a more formal or European variant — you will see it in car brochures and on luxury-brand websites, but everyday speakers rarely use it. Roadster refers specifically to a two-seater sports car with an open top; all roadsters are convertibles, but not all convertibles are roadsters (a family car with a folding roof is not a roadster). Drophead (or drophead coupe) is a vintage British term still used by heritage luxury brands such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley; it sounds old-fashioned and romantic. Open-top functions as an adjective rather than a noun — you say 'an open-top car' but not 'I drive an open-top.' For everyday conversation, 'convertible' is the safest and most natural choice.

cabrioletroadsterdropheadopen-top

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • fully convertible
  • freely convertible
  • easily convertible

Phrases

  • convertible car seat
  • convertible sofa bed
  • convertible currency
  • convertible bond
  • convertible roof
  • convertible top
  • convertible hardtop

Prepositions

  • convertible into
  • convertible to

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Convertible entered English from Old French 'convertible', which came from Latin 'convertere' — a combination of 'con-' (together, completely) and 'vertere' (to turn). The literal meaning is 'able to be turned completely.' The first recorded use in English dates from the 14th century in a theological sense. The car-roof meaning appeared in the early 20th century as automakers began producing vehicles with folding tops.