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 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
“Here there is simply no colorable claim of ownership over the broad ideas, public data, and common techniques expressed in the decree,” Melloy wrote.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 3, 2023
"This may not be criminal, but it is a colorable law school exam question for obstruction of justice, worth the analysis," White wrote.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2021
The hounding editor keeps deleting and deleting … taken individually, there is at least a colorable argument for each move.
From Slate ● Mar. 2, 2021
In 1826, Mr. Clay, in his dispatches to Mr. Gallatin, said, 'it is not conceived that the British Government can make out even a colorable title to any part of the northwest coast!'...
From Presidential Candidates: containing Sketches, Biographical, Personal and Political, of Prominent Candidates for the Presidency in 1860 by D. W. Bartlett
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.
