questionable
Americanadjective
-
of doubtful propriety, honesty, morality, respectability, etc..
questionable activities; in questionable taste.
- Antonyms:
- certain
-
open to question or dispute; doubtful or uncertain.
a statement of questionable accuracy.
- Synonyms:
- dubious, dubitable, controvertible, disputable, debatable
-
open to question as to being of the nature or value suggested.
a questionable privilege.
adjective
-
(esp of a person's morality or honesty) admitting of some doubt; dubious
-
of disputable value or authority
a questionable text
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of questionable
Explanation
Something that's questionable is uncertain or hard to believe. If a politician says things you doubt are true, you might describe his words as questionable. You might say that it's questionable whether you'll reach your goal of getting straight A's in school, or secretly believe that everything your history teacher says is slightly questionable. In either case, you're highly doubtful. You can even describe a person as questionable, if he or she doesn't strike you as completely honest. The original meaning of the word was "that may be interrogated," from the Latin root word quaestionem, "a seeking, inquiry, questioning, or examination."
Vocabulary lists containing questionable
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.
Questionable autism payments totaled $68 million in 2023 alone.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 8, 2026
For today’s playlist, I’ve picked nine tracks that I’m calling Questionable Christmas Songs.
From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2023
Questionable and undisclosed fees are easier to dispute when paying with credit.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 2, 2023
Questionable use of streaming standards and practices “The Boys”
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 25, 2021
Questionable though this division may be as a psychological one, it will yet serve roughly to indicate the remaining field of investigation.
From The Philosophy of Style by Spencer, Herbert
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.
