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colourable

British  
/ ˈkʌlərəbəl /

adjective

  1. capable of being coloured

  2. appearing to be true; plausible

    a colourable excuse

  3. pretended; feigned

    colourable affection

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Example Sentences

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He added Slater "genuinely held on at least colourable grounds" the belief that an issue with the Act was "unlikely actually to pose a problem for the scheme".

From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2026

All of them show the basest ingratitude under a colourable cloak of human excuse.

From William Shakespeare by John Masefield

"Not colourable, anyhow," said Acton, with a wink at Jack.

From Acton's Feud A Public School Story by Frederick Swainson

Not a blow was struck which gave a colourable ground for outrage on the part of the police.

From Bygones Worth Remembering, Vol. 1 (of 2) by George Jacob Holyoake

Tourists are also catered for in a native block-stamped variety, which is at least a colourable imitation of the real article.

From Across the Equator A Holiday Trip in Java by Thomas H. Reid

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