adjective
Other Word Forms
- defensibility noun
- defensibleness noun
- defensibly adverb
- nondefensibility noun
- nondefensible adjective
- nondefensibleness noun
- nondefensibly adverb
- undefensible adjective
- undefensibleness noun
- undefensibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of defensible
1250–1300; Middle English < Late Latin defēnsibilis, equivalent to Latin defēns ( us ) ( see defense) + -ibilis -ible; replacing Middle English defensable < Old French < Late Latin defēnsābilis, equivalent to defēnsā ( re ) (frequentative of dēfendere to defend ) + -bilis -ble
Explanation
Something that's defensible is excusable — you can defend it or justify it. Mistaking your friend for her twin sister, as awkward as it may be, is a defensible blunder. In politics, there are often issues to which some people object strongly, while others argue that they're completely defensible positions. You may believe it's defensible to wage war in some circumstances, while your pacifist friend thinks it's never okay to kill for any reason. Defensible comes from an Old French root, defendre, "defend or resist," from the Latin root defendere, "guard or protect."
Vocabulary lists containing defensible
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.
Goldberg does not think so, arguing his firm's experience, research and technology make it defensible.
From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026
“The faster a company can lean into a consumption value model, the more defensible the moat and predictability of future growth.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
Instead of spending hours poring over a lengthy 10-K, teams can accelerate tasks with precise prompts and receive structured, defensible outputs powering market-moving decisions in seconds.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026
Investors pay premium multiples for predictable, defensible cash flows.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
It was a camp that even Arthur Dayne might have approved of—compact, orderly, defensible.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
