colorable

American

[kuhl-er-uh-buhl] / ˈkʌl ər ə bəl /

adjective

capable of being colored.
seemingly valid, true, or genuine; plausible.
pretended; deceptive.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Etymology

Origin of colorable

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at color, -able

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

And I think someone who applies for a payout from this fund with a colorable case of weaponization, but gets denied, may well have standing.

From Slate • May 22, 2026

“We are very happy that the court has acknowledged that the plaintiffs have brought colorable constitutional claims forward,” said Mike Laux, an attorney for the teachers and students who filed suit.

From Seattle Times • May 8, 2024

“And I think Florida State knows that as well. I think they threw in anything they could potentially think of as a colorable argument to get them out of the grant-of-rights agreement.”

From Washington Times • Dec. 22, 2023

Thus, she asserted, the Georgia senator does not have any applicable "colorable federal defense."

From Salon • Sep. 6, 2023

But in the movings after each eight are dealt, I shall consciously choose and judge, which is pure free will—or an imitation of it sufficiently colorable to satisfy any, but quibblers.

From The Boss of Little Arcady by Wilson, Harry Leon

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023