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
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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Kwame Crashes the Underworld
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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.
With China’s investability no longer considered debatable by global investors, Zhang reckons Hong Kong will be able to sustain the economic momentum through the year.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
Whether seeing a film like this in a theater will do any more than remind audiences how little things have changed is debatable.
From Salon • Apr. 29, 2026
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
As for the specific incident in question, it is debatable whether the safety car in Japan changed the outcome of the race.
From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026
Now the construction of Hugh’s X-ray camera was completed, and soon he hoped to get experimental evidence to settle the debatable points.
From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson
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.
