Meaning & use
escalable
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparableformal
Able to be increased in size, amount, or intensity, especially in a controlled way.
Grammar: Not usually used with 'more' or 'most'; it describes an inherent quality.
Patterns
- escalable costs
- escalable system
- highly escalable
The company designed an escalable pricing model to handle rapid growth.
Their IT infrastructure is highly escalable, allowing them to add users without major changes.
The contract includes an escalable fee structure based on usage.
Common combinations
- escalable costs
- The project has escalable costs, so the budget can grow if needed.
- highly escalable
- The software is highly escalable and can support millions of users.
- escalable model
- They adopted an escalable business model to expand internationally.
Synonyms and how they differ
- scalable
- Much more common and often used in business and technology; 'escalable' is rarer and more formal.
- expandable
- Focuses on becoming larger; 'escalable' often implies a controlled increase in amount or intensity.
Opposites
Word family
- escalate verb
- To increase in intensity or extent.
- escalation noun
- An increase in intensity or amount.
Commonly confused: escalable or scalable?
escalable vs scalable
Much more common and often used in business and technology; 'escalable' is rarer and more formal.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'escalable' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Escalable' is an adjective meaning able to be increased or scaled, so An is correct. B is wrong because it is not a verb, C is wrong because it is not a noun, and D is wrong because it does not describe a feeling.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “escalable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.