debatable

adjective

de·​bat·​able di-ˈbā-tə-bəl How to pronounce debatable (audio)
dē-
1
: claimed by more than one country
debatable border territory
2
a
: open to dispute : questionable
the debatable wisdom of his advice
b
: open to debate
3
: capable of being debated
debatably adverb

Examples of debatable in a Sentence

it's always debatable which college football team is really number one, since there's more than one ranking system the debatable wisdom of going back for another helping from the buffet
Recent Examples on the Web While the accuracy of this claim is debatable, scientists and benchmarking organizations such as Model Evaluation and Threat Research seem to support it. Charles Towers-Clark, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 At 32, Jones finds herself to overweight (though that’s debatable), in a dead end job, and running short on romantic options. Vogue, 10 Sep. 2024 Moreover, comedies—which The Bear claims to be, though that’s debatable—generally perform better than dramas in the binge model. Marah Eakin, WIRED, 27 June 2024 While the argument over what constitutes an exceptional Dragon Ball Z game is debatable, what’s undeniable is the enduring popularity of the franchise in the gaming zeitgeist. Isaiah Colbert, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for debatable 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'debatable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of debatable was in 1536

Dictionary Entries Near debatable

Cite this Entry

“Debatable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debatable. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

debatable

adjective
de·​bat·​able di-ˈbāt-ə-bəl How to pronounce debatable (audio)
: open to question or dispute
a debatable decision
debatably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on debatable

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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