untenable
Americanadjective
-
(of an argument, thesis, strategy, etc.) incapable of being defended; indefensible.
I do not regard atheism as an untenable stance toward the world.
-
(of a situation or condition) incapable of being sustained or maintained over time.
A number of exporters have called for the measure to be withdrawn, maintaining it has imposed an untenable strain on their working capital.
- Synonyms:
- questionable, weak, unsound, groundless, baseless
-
not fit to be occupied, as an apartment, house, etc.
adjective
-
(of theories, propositions, etc) incapable of being maintained, defended, or vindicated
-
unable to be maintained against attack
-
rare (of a house, etc) unfit for occupation
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of untenable
Explanation
If something is untenable, you can't defend it or justify it. If your disagreement with your teacher puts you in an untenable position, you better just admit you made a mistake and get on with it. When untenable entered English in the 17th century it meant "unable to be held against attack." That sense still holds true: you can use the adjective untenable to describe any situation, position, or theory that simply can't be defended. Untenable is a great word to use when you want to criticize something, whether it's a flawed system or a referee's bad call.
Vocabulary lists containing untenable
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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.
“The status quo is untenable in the short term, and in the long term catastrophic, potentially,” Newsom said in a press conference last week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
When these denials at last became untenable, they retreated to other lines of defense, such as libertarianism.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
“The concern and the situation just feels untenable right now.”
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
"It is untenable the position they are taking that they have enough equipment. It is helicopters that are needed."
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
For some non-Jews, such as Erwin Schrödinger and nuclear chemist Max Delbrück, the situation was morally untenable.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
