tenable

[ ten-uh-buhl ]
/ ˈtɛn ə bəl /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR tenable ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

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Origin of tenable

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

OTHER WORDS FROM tenable

Words nearby tenable

ten., tena, tena koe, tena korua, tena koutou, tenable, tenace, tenacious, tenacity, tenaculum, tenaculum forceps
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to tenable

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

Example sentences from the Web for tenable

British Dictionary definitions for tenable

tenable
/ (ˈtɛnəbəl) /

adjective

able to be upheld, believed, maintained, or defended

Derived forms of tenable

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