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Definition of "tenable" []

  • Capable of being maintained in argument; rationally defensible: a tenable theory. (adjective)
  • Capable of being held against assault; defensible: a tenable outpost. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "tenable" in a sentence
  • "What seems no longer tenable is the romantic, idealized idea of fatherhood once associated with “The Godfather,” where the passionate mutual devotion of fathers and sons seemed completely of a piece with the relentless pursuit of power and destruction of the enemy."
  • "Is the idea tenable that the Creator has no comprehension of what is manifested in creation?"
  • "Still less is the notion tenable of any special improbability applying to this particular pretension."