viability

viability — noun

1. the quality of a plan, project, or business of being realistic and likely to suc

1.nounB2
Definition

the quality of a plan, project, or business of being realistic and likely to succeed when put into practice

Example

Vikram questioned the viability of opening a second café so soon after the first one.

viability of + gerund phrase

The bank's loan officer reviewed the viability of the start-up before approving the funding.

reviewed the viability of + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • commercial viability
  • economic viability
  • financial viability
  • long-term viability
  • prove the viability of
  • question the viability of
  • assess the viability of
  • threaten the viability of
Synonyms
  • feasibility

    more common in everyday planning; slightly less formal than 'viability'

  • practicability

    more formal and narrower; focuses on whether something can be done, not whether it will succeed

  • workability

    less common; emphasizes smooth functioning rather than overall success

Antonyms
  • impracticality

    the state of being unrealistic or unlikely to work in practical terms

  • infeasibility

    the state of not being possible or achievable

Grammar Patterns

viability of [noun phrase]

Usage Note

Nearly always used in formal or professional contexts such as business, finance, and project planning. The noun is uncountable, so it never takes an article in generic use ('the viability of' rather than 'a viability of').

Common Mistakes

The viability of the plan is not enough.
The plan lacks viability.
'viability' is a quality something has or lacks; it is not something that can be measured in degrees without specific phrasing.

2. the capacity of a living organism, cell, or embryo to survive, grow, and develop

2.nounC1
Definition

the capacity of a living organism, cell, or embryo to survive, grow, and develop normally under suitable conditions

Example

The hospital monitored the viability of the premature baby's lungs around the clock.

Lakan studied how pollution affects the viability of fish eggs in the river.

affects the viability of + noun phrase

Common collocations
  • cell viability
  • seed viability
  • fetal viability
  • sperm viability
  • bacterial viability
  • maintain viability
  • reduce viability
  • assess viability
Synonyms
  • survivability

    more specific to survival in adverse conditions; narrower in meaning

  • vitality

    emphasises energy and vigour rather than the bare ability to survive

  • life

    a simpler but much broader word; 'viability' implies the potential for continued development, not just being alive

Antonyms
  • inviability

    the state of being unable to survive, grow, or develop normally

Grammar Patterns

viability of [noun phrase]

Usage Note

Common in medicine, biology, and agriculture. Frequently modifies nouns such as 'cell', 'seed', 'fetus', or 'tissue'. Unlike sense 1, this sense can appear with a possessive ('the seed's viability').

Common Mistakes

The viability of the baby is good.
The baby's lungs show good viability.
'viability' describes a specific function or condition, not a general state of health.

Word family

  • viable
    adjectiveB2
  • unviable
    adjectiveC1
  • viably
    adverbC1
  • nonviable
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three nouns describe whether something can be done, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Viability' (from Latin 'vita' — life) originally meant the ability to stay alive, and in figurative use still carries the sense of long-term sustainability — a viable business is one that can keep running. 'Feasibility' (from Latin 'facere' — to do) is the most common of the three and focuses narrowly on whether something is possible given practical constraints: a feasibility study checks if a project can be built at all. 'Practicability' is the rarest and most formal; it asks whether a plan is sensible and efficient to carry out, not just possible. For everyday planning, 'feasibility' is the safest choice. For discussions of long-term survival or business sustainability, 'viability' is more precise. Example: 'The team checked the feasibility of building the bridge, then studied the economic viability of keeping it open for fifty years.'

viability ↗feasibility ↗practicability

Common collocations

Phrases

  • in terms of viability
  • questions about the viability of
  • threats to the viability of

Prepositions

  • viability of

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'Viability' comes from the French word 'viable', which originally meant 'likely to live'. That French term traces back through Latin 'via' (way) and more directly to 'vita' (life). The word entered English in the early 1800s as a biological term describing a newborn's ability to survive outside the womb, and later expanded to refer to seeds, cells, and microorganisms. By the late 19th century, 'viability' had taken on its figurative sense: the ability of a plan, business, or idea to succeed. Both the biological and figurative meanings remain common today.