tenable
Americanadjective
-
capable of being held, maintained, or defended, as against attack or dispute.
a tenable theory.
- Synonyms:
- warrantable, maintainable, viable, workable
-
capable of being occupied, possessed, held, or enjoyed, as under certain conditions.
a research grant tenable for two years.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tenable
1570–80; < French: that can be held, equivalent to ten ( ir ) to hold (≪ Latin tenēre ) + -able -able
Explanation
If your teacher says your position on the benefits of abolishing homework is not tenable, she means it is not based in fact. To be tenable is to be evidence-based and well-founded. Tenable comes from the Latin root tenir which means "to hold," as in "hold together." If your plan is tenable, it will probably hold together when you execute it, or hold up to scrutiny. It's good to note that the opposite of tenable is untenable and not intenable, though throughout history both have been used.
Vocabulary lists containing tenable
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "T"
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This Week In Culture: October 5–11, 2019
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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.
It was a down year for infrastructure security specialist Tenable Holdings, whose shares lost 40% of their value during 2025.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 9, 2026
"She was passionate about helping people, without judgment. She had time for everyone and a genuine listening ear," the Tenable host said.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2024
And across Latin America, online frauds and cyberattacks are at an "all-time high," says cybersecurity company Tenable, posing an urgent problem for a well-connected region.
From Reuters • Aug. 15, 2023
“There’s a real day of reckoning coming in the startup world,” predicted Amit Yoran, CEO of the cybersecurity firm Tenable.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 13, 2023
Tenable or untenable, my memory has clutched the stately syllogism.
From McClure's Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 4, March, 1896 by Various
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.
