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This word would describe a car, light switch, computer, etc. because they can all be turned on or off. I thought of toggle-able, but that doesn't sound right on a couple levels.

Edit: I am hoping for something specific to the idea of 'on' or 'off', if it exists. For example, suppose you have two possible colors for some text in a website, lets say red and blue. You could have a button that toggles the text between the two options, but you wouldn't necessarily say that one is 'On' and the other is 'Off'. I feel that 'toggled' is more general and can refer to more states than just 'on' or 'off'.

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  • If you like Destiny’s Child and Internet memes, you might get off with calling it togglicious.
    – Janus Bahs Jacquet
    Commented Dec 10, 2014 at 16:24
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    What are the "couple of levels" why this doesn't sound right? That information would help the community avoid similar pitfalls. Also, please give the sentence where you intend to use the word (as requested in the tag description). See the help text, particularly the four bullet points at the end.
    – Andrew Leach ♦
    Commented Dec 10, 2014 at 17:38
  • @AndrewLeach First, it just sounds funny to my ears (Subjective I know, sorry). Second, I want the word to be specific to 'on'/'off' states and not general binary states like toggle seems to me.
    – carrizal
    Commented Dec 10, 2014 at 17:44
  • "Switchable", perhaps?
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Dec 10, 2014 at 18:40
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    The expression 'on/off' is commonly used adjectivally.
    – Edwin Ashworth
    Commented Dec 10, 2014 at 23:03

4 Answers 4

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I think you are along the right lines. I would say that something like a switch can be toggled.

You can also say that it can be switched on or off. However, usually if you can switch something on, there is the case that you can also switch it off.

You may also have a context related word such as flicked for lights and powered for computers.

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"Toggle" assumes two modes of operation. Regardless of whether it controls On/Off or Red/Blue, the word "toggle" is perfectly apt. If there were more modes than two (i.e., if a single button cycled through red/blue/green text colors), then the word "toggle" would not be appropriate.

It is a toggle, it can be toggled, and though the words toggleable/togglable are correct, they're ugly and awkward. I'd use switchable, instead, for readability, as in "The toggle to the left affects the switchable font color."

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  • and though the words toggleable/togglable are correct, they're ugly and awkward As a programmer I very much disagree there; that however is a matter of what one finds aesthetically appealing. Some would argue those aren't valid words but they certainly work. If not you could add a dash between. 'Switchable' could be used too to be sure but one could argue that it can do more than just 'on' or 'off' (just as 'toggle' but just as much as arguing semantics).
    – Pryftan
    Commented Jul 23, 2019 at 0:38
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Togglable sounds perfectly fine to me

Source: http://www.wordsense.eu/togglable/

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If you were comparing things that can be turned on and off with things that can't, you could use "not continuously running" for the things that can be turned off and "continuously running" for the things that can't be turned off.

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