colorable

American  

[kuhl-er-uh-buhl] / ˈkʌl ər ə bəl /

adjective

1. capable of being colored.

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

3. pretended; deceptive.

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Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of colorable

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

Example Sentences

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

“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

“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

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

From Salon

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.

From Salon