Most people know that you can interact with things. But can something be “interactable?” Can you use this word as an adjective to describe something? Or can “interactable” be a noun?
In this post, we will discuss whether or not “interactable” is a word.
Is “Interactable” a Word?
Officially, “interactable” is not a word in the English language, according to reputable dictionaries. However, it is a common informal word often used to describe an object as something you can interact with. This definition is most commonly used in video games.
The dictionary is not actually the decider of what is and isn’t a word. After all, dictionaries don’t make words for a language to use; a language develops words that end up being added to dictionaries.
Right now, “interactable” is not officially a word in any reputable dictionary. However, it’s often accepted as a word in certain fields of knowledge. Just like coding programs have made up plenty of their own words, “interactable” is a word often found in video game coding and programming.
An “interactable” in such context is an in-game object that a player can interact with, hence the name.
For example:
- In this game, my character can pick up a bucket, making that bucket an interactable.
- My favorite interactable in this game is the legendary sword I can equip.
You may wonder why such a word is even needed; well, when it comes to programming, labeling is very important. Without labels, it would be very easy for programmers to get confused on what different lines of code are or what they do.
Labeling something as an “interactable” reminds programmers that the object is something that players will be able to interact with, as opposed to a background model that can’t be touched or something like that.
However, this means “interactable” is basically programming slang. It is not correct English or proper grammar outside of that context. But what if you want to describe something as “a thing you can interact with”? Below, we have compiled a list of what to say instead of “interactable”.
Other Ways to Say “Interactable”
Other ways to say “interactable” are “interactive, interfaceable”, and “participatory”. Keep in mind that most synonyms for “interactable” are focusing on how you would use that word as an adjective. These are ways to describe objects that you can interact with, not objects in games specifically.
There are a few other synonyms that we will discuss in the below section, but most of them will only be suitable in certain contexts. Oddly enough, English doesn’t have many single words to describe objects that you can interact with!
1. Interactive
“Interactive” is the word you should use if you want to describe something as “able to be interacted with”. It is both a noun and a verb, either describing an object as mentioned, or literally being such an object itself.
For example, in the following sentences, “interactive” is first used as an adjective, then a noun:
- Writing is an interactive process that requires me to interact with many tools, such as the internet, programs, and a keyboard.
- At museums, there is often an interactive available near exhibits, generally in the form of a recording you can activate by pressing a button.
2. Interfaceable
“Interfaceable” just means “able to be interfaced with”, which is in itself a synonym for “able to be interacted with”. While “interactable” may not be an official word, “interfaceable” is. That said, most people will associate this word with computers or digital “interfaces”, even if it mustn’t always.
It’s not a particularly common word, but it can definitely be used in place of “interactable”.
- A car is an interfaceable machine that allows you to interact with it in many different ways.
- When you think about it, all human beings are interfaceable with one another.
3. Participatory
“Participatory” is an adjective that describes something as “able to be participated in/with”. It’s a bit of a roundabout way to say that something is interactable. After all, if you cannot interact with something, you can’t really participate in or with it, though the reverse is not always true.
For example, you may be able to participate in a discussion, but you cannot “interact” with it, at least not physically. So “participatory” and “interactive” can be used interchangeably sometimes, but not always.
- Your smartphone is a participatory device that you interact with in many unique ways.
- A bottle is participatory, as it will never be able to open itself without human interaction.
4. Hands-on
If something is “hands-on”, that means you can interact with it. That being the case, you can use this word as a synonym for “interactable” if need be. Of course, “hands-on” also has some other definitions, so it’s not always the best choice, but it serves just fine in the right context.
- Painting is a hands-on experience that requires you to interact with many different elements of art.
- There is no such thing as a video game that isn’t hands-on, since you have to interact with it to play it!
5. Empirical
When something is “empirical”, that means you can prove that it exists by seeing or touching it. “Interacting” with something proves that it exists, which makes it “empirical”. In this way, you can use “empirical” as a synonym for interactable.
That said, most people think of “empirical evidence” when they hear this word, so they probably won’t know what you mean right away if you use “empirical” in this manner.
- The sun is empirical, though I would certainly prefer to interact with it via sight than by touch.
- My TV is empirical, though I mostly interact with it via remote, as opposed to the buttons on it.
6. Heuristic
When something is “heuristic”, it is something that can be discovered or learned by someone without any outside help. In order for something to be capable of being discovered, it has to be “interactable” in some way. That makes “heuristic” a roundabout synonym for “interactable”.
That said, “heuristic” certainly isn’t often used for this purpose, so many people could be confused by its usage in this manner.
- A heuristic approach to learning includes many elements that a student can interact with, so they can learn things through first-hand experience.
- Fire is a heuristic element, something that human beings were able to figure out and interact with for themselves.
7. Experiential
“Experiential” describes something as involving or being based on “experience or observation”. In order for something to be “based on observation”, you’d have to be able to interact with it in some regard. This is a very roundabout way to claim that something is “interactable”, but it can be done.
- Light is experiential; you can interact with it by seeing it, blocking it, redirecting it, and more.
- The water cycle is an experiential aspect of our world’s ecosystem that is crucial to life.