tenable
adjective
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Hold Onto the Meaning of Tenable
Tenable means "holdable". In the past it was often used in a physical sense—for example, to refer to a city that an army was trying to "hold" militarily against an enemy force. But nowadays it's almost always used when speaking of "held" ideas and theories. If you hold an opinion but evidence appears that completely contradicts it, your opinion is no longer tenable. So, for example, the old ideas that cancer is infectious or that being bled by leeches can cure your whooping cough now seem untenable.
Examples of tenable in a Sentence
Grace Raynor, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025
If so, that might mean that planets which heretofore would never have been seen suitable for the evolution of complex life might become tenable for the evolution of intelligence.
—Bruce Dorminey, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
This is hardly a tenable course for Washington and its allies during a period of geopolitical conflict, so Trump must pivot.
—Peter E. Harrell, Foreign Affairs, 19 Dec. 2024
After the events of the last week, the Trump administration may decide that a U.S. presence in Iraq is no longer tenable, particularly in an election year.
—Emma Sky, Foreign Affairs, 3 Jan. 2020
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Dictionary Entries Near tenable
Cite this Entry
“Tenable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tenable. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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tenable
adjective
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