definitions

tenable

[ ten-uh-buhl ]
/ ˈtɛn ə bəl /
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adjective

capable of being held, maintained, or defended, as against attack or dispute: a tenable theory.
capable of being occupied, possessed, held, or enjoyed, as under certain conditions: a research grant tenable for two years.

RELATED WORDS

plausible, defensible, justifiable, arguable, rational, believable, credible, excusable, impregnable, reliable, secure, sound, strong, trustworthy, viable, condonable, maintainable, vindicable, warrantable

Nearby words

ten., tena, tena koe, tena korua, tena koutou, tenable, tenace, tenacious, tenacity, tenaculum, tenaculum forceps

Origin of tenable

1570–80; < French: that can be held, equivalent to ten(ir) to hold (≪ Latin tenēre) + -able -able

Related forms

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tenable

British Dictionary definitions for tenable

tenable

/ (ˈtɛnəbəl) /

adjective

able to be upheld, believed, maintained, or defended

Derived Forms

tenability or tenableness, nountenably, adverb

Word Origin for tenable

C16: from Old French, from tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012