colorable

[kuhl-er-uh-buhl]

adjective

1. capable of being colored.

2. seemingly valid, true, or genuine; plausible.

3. pretended; deceptive.

Other Word Forms

• colorability noun
• colorableness noun
• colorably adverb
• noncolorability noun
• noncolorable adjective
• noncolorableness noun
• noncolorably adverb
• precolorable adjective
• uncolorable adjective
• uncolorably adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of colorable¹

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; color, -able

Example Sentences

“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.

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“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.”

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Thus, she asserted, the Georgia senator does not have any applicable "colorable federal defense."

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To get removal, a federal officer must show that the indicted conduct is both under the auspices of his official duties and "a colorable federal defense," meaning it can defeat the charge.

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"A defense is not 'colorable' unless it is capable of defeating the count. And on this argument, it's not just that Willis 'gets the better of it.' Meadows lawyers didn't even get to it," he concluded.

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