arguably
Britishadverb
Explanation
Use the adverb arguably to describe something that can be asserted or shown to be a certain way. For example, you might say that your favorite teacher is arguably the best teacher in your school. If you declare that a certain restaurant makes what's arguably the best milkshake in town, you mean that a solid argument can be made in favor of their shakes. Use arguably when you want to emphasize or back up a statement or opinion. The word was first used in the late 19th century to mean "as may be shown by argument," from the Latin root word arguere, "make known, prove, or demonstrate."
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.
Arguably worse, he tries to stop RIH from “aiding,” “abetting,” or “encouraging” anyone else from asking these courts for help, reaching far beyond the hospital to infringe upon the rights of nonparties.
From Slate • May 19, 2026
Arguably most prominent was her role as the central of five ballerinas in “Divertimento No. 15,” Balanchine’s Mozart-inspired confection from 1956, where she displayed gyroscopic turns and air-filled, feathery footwork.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
Arguably many did generations ago, when the industry was new and niche.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026
Arguably war, especially in its modern version, is an emergent phenomenon triggered by a host of factors, but not by some genetic impulse we can’t be rid of.
From Salon • Apr. 23, 2026
Arguably the most significant reform is the creation of an “innocent owner” defense.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
