Meaning & use
tenable
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Able to be defended or maintained against argument or attack, as an idea, position, or plan.
Grammar: Used to describe something that can be defended; typically after the verb 'be' or before a noun.
Patterns
- a tenable position
- a tenable argument
- something is tenable
Her explanation was tenable, so the committee accepted it.
The theory is no longer tenable after the new evidence.
He held a tenable view that could be supported by facts.
Common combinations
- a tenable position
- The politician's tenable position on the issue won him support.
- a tenable argument
- She presented a tenable argument that convinced the audience.
- no longer tenable
- The old policy is no longer tenable in today's economy.
- remain tenable
- The hypothesis remains tenable until further research is done.
Synonyms and how they differ
- defensible
- Defensible is often used for actions or decisions that can be justified; tenable is more about arguments or positions that can be maintained.
- supportable
- Supportable means able to be backed by evidence; tenable emphasizes the ability to withstand challenge.
- viable
- Viable means capable of working successfully; tenable is about logical defensibility, not practical success.
Opposites
Word family
- tenability noun
- The quality of being tenable; the state of being defensible.
- tenably adverb
- In a manner that can be defended.
Commonly confused: tenable or tenable vs. tenacious?
tenable vs tenable vs. tenacious
Tenable means defensible; tenacious means holding firmly. They sound similar but have different meanings.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'tenable' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Tenable means able to be defended or maintained, so 'His position was tenable' fits. Option 1 is wrong because 'tenable' means defensible, not easily refuted. Option 2 and 4 confuse 'tenable' with 'tenacious' (holding firmly).
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tenable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.