Tradable means able to be exchanged or swapped for something else. In economics, a tradable good is something that can be bought and sold, like wheat, oil, or smartphones. Countries trade tradable goods with each other: Japan might trade cars for American corn, or Germany might trade machinery for Brazilian coffee.

On the stock market, tradable securities are shares or bonds that investors can buy and sell freely. A company's stock becomes tradable when it's listed on an exchange, meaning anyone can buy or sell shares during market hours.

The word also applies beyond business. In a classroom, tradable items might be collectible cards or stickers that kids swap with each other. During recess, you might find that your extra granola bar is highly tradable because everyone wants one.

Something becomes tradable when others want it and when rules or systems allow the exchange to happen. A concert ticket is tradable because someone else could use it, but a ticket with your name printed on it might not be. The key question is always: can this actually be exchanged or transferred to someone else?