debatable

American  

[dih-bey-tuh-buhl] / dɪˈbeɪ tə bəl /

adjective

1. open to question; in dispute; doubtful.

   Whether or not he is qualified for the job is debatable.

   Synonyms:

   disputable, arguable, dubious, questionable

2. capable of being debated.

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debatable British  

/ dɪˈbeɪtəbəl /

adjective

1. open to question; disputable

2. law in dispute, as land or territory to which two parties lay claim

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Other Word Forms

• nondebatable adjective
• undebatable adjective

Etymology

Origin of debatable

1425–75; late Middle English < Middle French. See debate, -able

Example Sentences

Yet it is debatable whether Mr. Livingston’s new chronology is any more meaningful than the old one.

From The Wall Street Journal

"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

However, what is not debatable — in fact, what is painfully clear — is that Coogler made the best picture for our times.

From Los Angeles Times

With almost every other sport, the difference is debatable.

From Los Angeles Times

Because laws are debatable, what happens in practice can differ from the law, and there isn’t an application of the law to each and every instance in which an institution makes a decision.

From Salon

Related Words

• arguable
• doubtful
• dubious
• moot
• problematic
• questionable
• uncertain