Tenable Meaning
/ˈtɛn.ə.bəl/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
adjcapable of being maintained or justified; well-founded
adjCapable of being defended against assault or attack; defensible
Sentence Examples
I think your theory isn't tenable.
I think your theory's not tenable.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
Given the overwhelming evidence supporting it, the hypothesis remains ____ despite criticism.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The lawyer argued that the prosecution's theory was no longer ____ in light of the new evidence that was discovered today.
Word Origin & History
From the French tenable, from tenir (“to hold”); compare tenible.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Modern war rests on industry, and its evolution has all but abolished the "non-combatant," emptied the old idea of "innocent" trade of meaning, and made even of neutrality a barely tenable status."
— 1919, Henry Noel Brailsford, The Covenant of Peace: An Essay on the League of Nations, page 25:
"Fitting into a tenable social position among other people requires not only the ability to simultaneously assess the nature of relationships with each person individually but also the ability to comprehend the indirect relational consequences of actions for connected relationships."
— 1998, Luanna H. Meyer, Making Friends: The Influences of Culture and Development, page 391:
"In short, it is not a tenable position in our tight-knit community, or in a pluralistic democracy, to ask for a kinder space and to be unkind towards others."
— 2017 February 8, Maxwell Bevilacqua, “Op-Ed: A kinder space in the ivory tower”, in The Tufts Daily:
"The island of Melos undoubtedly fell within his general conceptions of tenable empire for Athens."
— 1850, George Grote, A History of Greece; from the Earliest Period to the Close of the Generation Contemporary with Alexander the Great, volume 8:
"In February, 1679, he was admitted "a planter" of the town and a home lot was granted him "on condition that it should have a tenable house built upon it within two years."
— 1679, Roberta Elizabeth Foote, The ancestors and descendants of Theodore Munroe Foote, published 1969, page 14:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
Given the overwhelming evidence supporting it, the hypothesis remains ____ despite criticism.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The lawyer argued that the prosecution's theory was no longer ____ in light of the new evidence that was discovered today.