permissible
UK[pəˈmɪsəbl]US[pərˈmɪsəbl]
adj
allowed or permitted by law, rules, or custom.
Morpheme Breakdown
permiss
ible
permiss
allow
ible
capable of
Etymology
the word permissible is built upon the latin verb 'permittere', which itself is a compound of 'per-' (meaning 'through, thoroughly') and 'mittere' (meaning 'to send, let go'). the core idea is of sending something through or letting it pass, which evolved into the sense of granting consent or allowance. the past participle stem 'permiss-' was adopted into english and combined with the productive suffix '-ible', derived from latin '-ibilis', which denotes ability or suitability. thus, permissible literally means 'capable of being allowed', a meaning that has remained consistent from its latin roots to its modern legal and normative usage.
Analysis
Structure: permiss (allow) + ible (capable of)
permiss (from latin 'permiss-', past participle stem of 'permittere', meaning 'to allow, let pass'); ible (from latin suffix '-ibilis', forming adjectives meaning 'capable of, fit for').
Examples
it is not permissible to park here between 9 am and 6 pm.
the judge ruled the evidence was permissible in court.
there is a permissible level of error in this scientific measurement.