disposable
gb/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl/ us/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl/
B1
Anglais
~ 9500
Sens
0 sens
adjective
B1
property
1
intended for single or short use
Made so you use it once or a few times and then throw it in the trash.
Schéma d’usage :
a [disposable] [item]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'disposable' with 'available'. In this sense, 'disposable' always means the item is meant to be thrown away, not just that you can use it.
Synonymes
single-use (Often used in environmental or packaging contexts; slightly more formal and technical.)
|
throwaway (Informal; can sound more critical of waste or consumer culture.)
Antonymes
reusable (Emphasizes that the item is kept and used many times instead of being thrown away.)
Collocations
disposable cup
|disposable plate
|disposable diapers
|disposable gloves
|disposable camera
|disposable mask
Thèmes
daily life
|shopping
|environment
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The event provided disposable cups and plates to make cleanup easier.
- Many hospitals require staff to wear disposable gloves for each patient.
- We switched from disposable diapers to cloth ones to reduce waste.
- She packed a few disposable masks in her bag for the trip.
- They handed out disposable rain ponchos at the outdoor concert.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I bought disposable cups for the party.
- These are disposable gloves, so please throw them away after use.
- He used a disposable camera on his vacation.
- We use disposable plates when we have many guests.
- The hotel gives guests disposable slippers.
adjective
B2
property
2
available money after essentials
Describes money you have left to spend after you pay taxes and basic bills.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] has [disposable income]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes think 'disposable income' means money you can 'throw away' or waste. It actually means the money that is left after you pay taxes and basic living costs, which you can choose how to use.
Synonymes
spare (Common in phrases like 'spare cash'; more informal and less technical than 'disposable'.)
|
available (Very general; can describe money that is free to use, but lacks the specific economic meaning of 'after taxes and basic costs'.)
Antonymes
committed (Describes money that is already promised or needed for specific payments, so it is not free to spend.)
Collocations
disposable income
|higher disposable income
|low disposable income
|household disposable income
|disposable cash
|disposable resources
Thèmes
economics
|business
|daily life
|personal finance
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Rising rents mean many families have less disposable income each month.
- With more disposable income, she was finally able to start saving for a holiday.
- The report shows that average disposable income has fallen over the last year.
- Young adults today often have little disposable income after paying student loans.
- People with higher disposable income tend to spend more on entertainment and travel.
Exemples pédagogiques
- My disposable income is very small after I pay my rent.
- As his salary grew, his disposable income also increased.
- They used their disposable income to go on vacation.
- She saves half of her disposable income every month.
- Many students do not have much disposable income.
Nom
B1
entity
3
single-use product or item
A thing that you use once or a few times and then throw in the trash.
Schéma d’usage :
use [disposables] instead of [reusables]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes only know 'disposable' as an adjective and do not recognize it as a noun. As a noun, it almost always refers to physical products that are thrown away after use.
Synonymes
single-use item (Slightly more formal and descriptive; often used in environmental discussions.)
Antonymes
reusable (Refers to items designed to be used many times rather than thrown away.)
Collocations
use disposables
|plastic disposables
|single-use disposables
|pack disposables
|avoid disposables
|rely on disposables
Thèmes
daily life
|shopping
|environment
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- We try not to use disposables at home and prefer real plates and cups.
- The hotel provides toiletries and other small disposables for guests.
- To cut down on trash, the office reduced its use of plastic disposables.
- The camping store sells a lot of lightweight disposables for hikers.
- Environmental groups are pushing restaurants to replace disposables with reusable dishes.
Exemples pédagogiques
- They use many plastic disposables in that restaurant.
- I bring my own bottle so I do not need disposables.
- The company wants to stop using paper disposables.
- We bought some disposables for our road trip.
- Please recycle what you can and throw away the disposables.
adjective
B2
property
4
seen as easily replaceable
Describes a person or thing that others treat as not important and easy to replace.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone/something] is [disposable]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may wrongly assume this sense still means 'used once and thrown away' in a literal, physical sense. Here, it is metaphorical and usually describes how people or social relationships are treated, not actual objects.
Synonymes
expendable (Common in serious or critical contexts; can sound slightly stronger, suggesting someone can be sacrificed if needed.)
|
replaceable (Focuses on the idea that someone or something can easily be exchanged for another; less emotionally loaded.)
Antonymes
valued (Stresses that the person or thing is appreciated and considered important, not easily replaced.)
Collocations
disposable workers
|disposable employees
|disposable workforce
|disposable relationships
|disposable culture
|treated as disposable
Thèmes
society
|work
|emotions
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Many temporary staff feel like disposable workers in the modern economy.
- He complained that the company treats older employees as disposable.
- In a culture of disposable relationships, it can be hard to build trust.
- They see migrant labor as disposable, which leads to poor working conditions.
- The film critic argued that the hero viewed his team members as disposable.
Exemples pédagogiques
- She felt like a disposable worker at the factory.
- He does not want to be treated as disposable.
- In that company, employees are almost disposable.
- Some people see friendships as disposable today.
- The boss thinks low-level staff are disposable.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
disposable
API
GB/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl/
US/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl/
Syllabes et accentuation
dis - pos - able (3 syllabes)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pos)
Formes du mot
Adjective
- Base: disposable
Noun
- Base: disposable
- Plural: disposables
Famille de mots
Expressions
disposable camera
1/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl kˈæmɚə/
fixed phrase
single-use film camera
A cheap camera with film inside that you use for a short time and then throw away or give to a shop to develop the photos.
Exemples
- We bought a disposable camera for the wedding guests to use.
- Before smartphones, tourists often carried disposable cameras on trips.
- He likes the surprise of waiting for photos from a disposable camera to be developed.
disposable cup
1/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl kˈʌp/
fixed phrase
single-use paper or plastic cup
A paper or plastic cup that you use once and then throw away.
Exemples
- The office kitchen is full of disposable cups and plates.
- Many cafes now charge extra if you want a disposable cup.
- They brought reusable mugs to avoid using disposable cups at the festival.
disposable diaper
1/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl dˈaɪpɚ/
fixed phrase
single-use baby diaper
A baby diaper that you use once and then throw away, instead of washing it.
Exemples
- They chose disposable diapers for convenience.
- Some parents prefer cloth over disposable diapers to reduce waste.
- Disposable diapers are easy to use but create a lot of trash.
disposable diaper
1/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl dˈaɪpɚ/
fixed phrase
single-use diaper
A diaper you throw away after use.
Exemples
- We use disposable diapers at night for extra dryness.
- Disposable diapers are convenient but create a lot of trash.
disposable gloves
1/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl ɡlˈʌvz/
fixed phrase
single-use protective gloves
Thin plastic or rubber gloves that you wear once and then throw away, often for cleaning or medical work.
Exemples
- Doctors put on disposable gloves before examining each patient.
- Food workers must wear disposable gloves when handling ready-to-eat food.
- She used disposable gloves while cleaning with strong chemicals.
disposable razor
1/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl ɹˈeɪzɚ/
fixed phrase
razor meant to be thrown away
A cheap shaving razor that you use for a short time and then throw away.
Exemples
- He packs disposable razors whenever he travels.
- Many hotels provide small disposable razors for guests.
- To reduce plastic waste, she stopped buying disposable razors.
disposable workforce
1/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl wˈɚkfˌɔɹs/
fixed phrase
workers seen as easily replaced
Workers who are treated as if they are not important and can be easily replaced.
Exemples
- Critics say the company relies on a disposable workforce of temporary staff.
- The article described how gig workers feel like part of a disposable workforce.
- Unions argue that no one should be part of a disposable workforce.
disposable income
1/dɪspˈoʊzəbəl ˈɪŋkˌʌm/
fixed phrase
money left after essentials
The money you have left to spend or save after you pay taxes and basic costs like rent, food, and bills.
Exemples
- Rising rents have reduced many families' disposable income.
- As prices rise, many families see their disposable income shrinking.
- With more disposable income, people tend to spend more on leisure activities.
- With more disposable income, she can finally afford regular holidays.
- The survey shows that young professionals have higher disposable income than before.