indefensible
Americanadjective
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not justifiable; inexcusable.
indefensible behavior.
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incapable of being protected or defended against attack.
an indefensible town.
- Synonyms:
- unprotected, defenseless, vulnerable
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incapable of being defended against criticism or denial; untenable.
indefensible argument.
adjective
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not justifiable or excusable
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capable of being disagreed with; untenable
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incapable of defence against attack
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of indefensible
First recorded in 1520–30; in- 3 + defensible
Explanation
Something that's indefensible is inexcusable — there's no way to justify it. It's indefensible to take candy from a baby, or to give candy TO a baby, for that matter. Indefensible behavior is just plain terrible, and it can't be explained away. It's indefensible, for example, or for one country to drop a bomb on innocent civilians in another country. Indefensible, "not able to be defended," comes from in-, "not," plus the Latin defendere and its sense of "allege in defense."
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.
Advocates of free speech often find ourselves having to defend the indefensible, or at least the right to say it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026
He said his his team's performance in the defeat by Brighton was both "indefensible" and "unacceptable".
From BBC ● Apr. 22, 2026
"Any war fought without limits is incompatible with the law. It is indefensible, inhumane and devastating for entire populations."
From Barron's ● Apr. 6, 2026
So Black followed up with a blog post explaining, among other things, that he finds Rowling indefensible.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2026
And yet even with decent troops the place was clearly indefensible.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
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.
