colorable
Americanadjective
-
capable of being colored.
-
seemingly valid, true, or genuine; plausible.
-
pretended; deceptive.
Other Word 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
On top of a colorable selective and vindictive motion, Bolton may also have legal ethics claims for unfair pre-trail publicity and conflicts of interest.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2025
“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
Each original cell contains a substance which, on account of its being easily colorable with artificial stains, is called chromatin, and this chromatin is believed to be the bearer of the hereditary qualities.
From Men Women and God by Gray, Arthur 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.
