tenable

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
9
Words With Friends
12
Letters
7
Pronunciation
/ˈtɛn.ə.bəl/ (UK)
See all 4 pronunciations
/ˈtɛn.ə.bəl/ (UK) · [ˈtɛn.ə.bl̩] (UK) · /ˈten.ə.bəl/ · [ˈten.ə.bl̩]

Definition of tenable

3 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

adj

  1. (usually)capable of being maintained or justified; well-founded
    “Back in the 1800s, many did not consider Darwin's theory of evolution to be tenable at all.”
    “Modern war rests on industry, and its evolution has all but abolished the "non-combatant," emptied the old idea of "innocent" trade of meaning, and made even of neutrality a barely tenable status.”
    “Fitting into a tenable social position among other people requires not only the ability to simultaneously assess the nature of relationships with each person individually but also the ability to comprehend the indirect relational consequences of actions for connected relationships.”
    “In short, it is not a tenable position in our tight-knit community, or in a pluralistic democracy, to ask for a kinder space and to be unkind towards others.”
See all 3 definitions

adj

  1. (usually)capable of being maintained or justified; well-founded
    “Back in the 1800s, many did not consider Darwin's theory of evolution to be tenable at all.”
    “Modern war rests on industry, and its evolution has all but abolished the "non-combatant," emptied the old idea of "innocent" trade of meaning, and made even of neutrality a barely tenable status.”
    “Fitting into a tenable social position among other people requires not only the ability to simultaneously assess the nature of relationships with each person individually but also the ability to comprehend the indirect relational consequences of actions for connected relationships.”
    “In short, it is not a tenable position in our tight-knit community, or in a pluralistic democracy, to ask for a kinder space and to be unkind towards others.”
  2. Capable of being defended against assault or attack; defensible
    “The island of Melos undoubtedly fell within his general conceptions of tenable empire for Athens.”
  3. Fit for habitation, similar, or related use.
    “In February, 1679, he was admitted "a planter" of the town and a home lot was granted him "on condition that it should have a tenable house built upon it within two years.”
    “They made a day of straightening the leaning stable on its foundations and staying its framework, so that with new roof and sheathing, it would be a tenable building for many years to come.”
    “Protecting or assisting occupant evacuation and safety by maintaining tenable building spaces and exit paths”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From the French tenable, from tenir (“to hold”); compare tenible.

Anagrams of tenable

2 plays · some not in Scrabble

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