billable: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low-mediumFormal, professional, business
Quick answer
What does “billable” mean?
Capable of being billed to a client.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Capable of being billed to a client; for which a charge can be made.
Pertaining to time, work, or expenses that can be legitimately invoiced to a client, often in professional services contexts like law, consulting, or freelancing.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling follows standard patterns (e.g., 'billable' not 'billible').
Connotations
Neutral professional term in both varieties. Slightly more prevalent in American business English due to its common use in legal and consulting industries.
Frequency
More frequent in American English corpora related to business and law.
Grammar
How to Use “billable” in a Sentence
[be] billable (to + client)[make/consider something] billablebillable + noun (hours/work)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “billable” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The consultant will bill the client for the travel day.
- We need to bill these expenses separately.
American English
- Make sure you bill all your time to the correct project code.
- The firm billed the client for the research phase.
adverb
British English
- The work was performed billably.
- (Note: 'Billably' is very rare; 'on a billable basis' is preferred.)
American English
- He worked billably on the Johnson account all week.
- (Note: 'Billably' is very rare; 'as billable time' is preferred.)
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Central to professional services. 'We need to increase our billable utilization rate.'
Academic
Rare, except in business or legal studies discussing professional practice.
Everyday
Very rare. Used mainly by self-employed individuals or those in client-facing roles.
Technical
Common in legal, consulting, accounting, IT services, and freelance project management software.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “billable”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “billable”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “billable”
- Using 'billable' for products sold in shops (use 'for sale', 'priced').
- Confusing 'billable hours' with simply 'hours worked' (the latter may include non-billable admin).
- Misspelling as 'billble' or 'billible'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, while 'billable hours' is the most common collocation, expenses, project work, and specific deliverables can also be described as billable.
'Non-billable work' or 'overhead'. This includes administrative tasks, training, or business development that cannot be charged to a specific client.
Rarely and informally (e.g., 'Add that to the billables'). The standard parts of speech are adjective and, derivatively, verb ('to bill').
In many professional contexts, they are synonyms. 'Billable' is more specific to the act of creating an invoice/bill, while 'chargeable' can have a broader commercial sense.
Capable of being billed to a client.
Billable is usually formal, professional, business in register.
Billable: in British English it is pronounced /ˈbɪləbl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈbɪləbl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to 'billable'. Related: 'on the clock', 'time is money'.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: If you can put it on a BILL, it's BILL-ABLE.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME/ WORK IS A COMMODITY (to be sold and billed).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'billable' MOST appropriately used?