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receivable

B2
UK/rɪˈsiːvəbl̩/US/rəˈsivəbəl/

formal/business

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Definition

Meaning

Suitable or ready for being received.

Capable of being received; specifically, in finance, awaiting payment or collection.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Primarily used as an adjective and noun in financial contexts. It implies a state of expectation or readiness for acceptance, not necessarily that an action is actively occurring.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant difference in meaning or spelling. The financial abbreviation 'AR' (accounts receivable) is common in both.

Connotations

Neutral financial term in both.

Frequency

Slightly more frequent in American business English, but high frequency in both business registers.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
accounts receivablenotes receivabletrade receivableamount receivable
medium
bills receivablereceivable balanceoutstanding receivableageing receivable
weak
debts receivablereceivables departmentreceivables ledgerreceivables clerk

Grammar

Valency Patterns

(be) receivable from(be) receivable at(be) receivable within

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

collectibleoutstanding

Neutral

dueowedpayablecollectible

Weak

pendingexpected

Vocabulary

Antonyms

payabledisbursedpaid

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • “(strictly financial context; no common idioms)”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Refers to money owed to a company by its debtors. Example: 'We must reduce our days sales outstanding in accounts receivable.'

Academic

Rare outside of finance/business studies papers.

Everyday

Virtually never used in casual conversation.

Technical

A key accounting term for categorising assets.

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

  • It does not exist as a standalone verb. See 'receive'.

American English

  • It does not exist as a standalone verb. See 'receive'.

adverb

British English

  • No common adverbial form.

American English

  • No common adverbial form.

adjective

British English

  • The invoice is receivable within 30 days.
  • The cheque is receivable at any branch.

American English

  • The note is receivable upon completion of the project.
  • All funds are receivable by the end of the quarter.

Examples

By CEFR Level

B1
  • The company has a lot of money receivable from its customers.
  • Is this bill receivable next week?
B2
  • Managing accounts receivable is crucial for a firm's cash flow.
  • The ageing report shows which receivables are overdue.
C1
  • Securitising our receivables provided the liquidity needed for expansion.
  • The contract stipulates that payment is receivable in euros at our Frankfurt office.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: 'Receive-able' → something that is ABLE to be RECEIVED (like payment).

Conceptual Metaphor

FINANCIAL OBLIGATION IS A PHYSICAL OBJECT (to be collected).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

  • Avoid direct translation as 'принимаемый'. Use 'дебиторская задолженность' (for the noun), 'подлежащий получению/оплате'.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing 'receivable' (money to be received) with 'payable' (money to be paid).
  • Using it in non-financial contexts sounds unnatural.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
On the balance sheet, money owed by customers is listed under .
Multiple Choice

In accounting, 'receivable' is primarily classified as what?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

'Receivable' is money owed TO you (an asset). 'Payable' is money you owe TO OTHERS (a liability).

Yes, especially in its plural form 'receivables', which is a standard accounting term for amounts due to a business.

Extremely rarely. Its primary domain is finance and accounting.

The common abbreviation is 'AR' or 'A/R'.