Livable describes a place that provides the basic conditions people need for a decent, comfortable life. A livable apartment has working heat, clean water, and enough space that you're not sleeping in the kitchen. A livable city offers safe neighborhoods, good schools, parks, and stores where families can buy what they need.

The word suggests conditions beyond mere survival. A cave might keep you alive, but it's not livable because it lacks light, comfort, and the things humans need to thrive. When people say a salary is livable (or a living wage), they mean it's enough to pay for housing, food, and other necessities without constant worry.

We also use livable to describe places that are pleasant or bearable. You might say your messy room isn't livable until you clean it, or that summer heat makes a house without air conditioning barely livable. Urban planners talk about creating livable communities where people can work, play, and raise families comfortably.

The opposite is unlivable: conditions so bad that people can't reasonably stay there. A house destroyed by fire becomes unlivable. A city without clean drinking water is unlivable. What makes a place livable depends partly on what humans need biologically and partly on what makes life worth living: safety, comfort, community, and opportunity.