debatable
Americanadjective
-
open to question; in dispute; doubtful.
Whether or not he is qualified for the job is debatable.
- Synonyms:
- disputable, arguable, dubious, questionable
-
capable of being debated.
adjective
-
open to question; disputable
-
law in dispute, as land or territory to which two parties lay claim
Other Word Forms
- nondebatable adjective
- undebatable adjective
Etymology
Origin of debatable
1425–75; late Middle English < Middle French. See debate, -able
Explanation
We know the sky is blue and the earth has one moon. But is there life on other planets? Such a question is debatable, meaning it is subject to disagreement or doubt. If you've ever seen politicians or anyone else have a debate, then you already have a pretty good idea of what debatable means. Something is debatable if there's reason to doubt it. If you say you're going to play in the NBA someday, but you're very short, your plans are debatable. Many issues, like how to create more jobs, are debatable because there isn't one correct answer to them.
Vocabulary lists containing debatable
Amal Unbound
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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 he wanted to show that the state Supreme Court’s ruling that Pitchford’s lawyer had waived relief was not merely debatable but unreasonable even by the AEDPA’s demanding standards.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
While it was debatable how much flexibility “around 5%” entailed, most market participants viewed this as within 0.2-0.3 percentage points of 5%.
From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026
Yet it is debatable whether Mr. Livingston’s new chronology is any more meaningful than the old one.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
"Whether you need to work 80 hours a week is debatable, but I think you would struggle in the current environment to compete with a relaxed 35-hour week culture," he says.
From BBC • Feb. 8, 2026
Just why Mr. Frodo was selling his beautiful hole was even more debatable than the price.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
