0 able to work as intended or able to succeed:
In order to make the company viable, it will unfortunately be necessary to reduce staffing levels.
I am afraid your plan is not commercially/economically/financially/politically viable.
There is a continuing debate about the age at which a human foetus can be considered viable.
2 able to be done or likely to succeed:
commercially/economically/financially viable Rising oil prices have made alternative energy sources more economically viable.
a viable business/company/market The fund exists to provide finance to viable businesses that have been rejected by mainstream lenders.
Home-working offers a viable solution to the work/family conflict.
a viable alternative/option/proposition
The project is not financially viable .
We have concerns about whether the government will be able to provide viable social services for poorer families/provide poorer families with viable social services.
The government wants to encourage viable self-contained rural communities.
It was not viable to support ourselves on such as small plot of land.
We hope to provide a viable alternative to car travel.
Neither is viable without the other and both require careful management to ensure that their viability is perpetuated.
Monetary policy becomes impotent, while the economy's immunity to real shocks is removed, and fiscal policy becomes a viable option for the government.
Today, with cheap and frequent shipping routes, timber has replaced flagstone as the most viable resource on the island.
