debatable

play

adjective de·bat·able \ di-ˈbā-tə-bəl , dē- \

Definition of debatable

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

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debatably

play \-blē\ adverb

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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 of debatable from the Web

The latest reforms being floated include vote centers, but the effect of those is also debatable.

— fatima hussein, Indianapolis Star, "Republicans limiting early voting in Marion County, letting it bloom in suburbs," 10 Aug. 2017
Well, that was debatable after watching Carlos Rodon serve up four home runs over the first four innings to put the Sox in a 5-1 hole.

— paul sullivan, chicagotribune.com, "White Sox rebuild now begins with Yoan Moncada's arrival," 20 July 2017
There is a term in the legal world for such instructions — dead hand control — and, although compliance has varied and enforceability is debatable, they have been attempted by artists from Franz Kafka to a Beastie Boy.

— michael paulson, The Seattle Times, "A last wish from playwright Edward Albee: Destroy work he left unfinished," 4 July 2017
Exactly when and where this food caught on in the United States is debatable, though virtually all early producers were from Europe.

— jane levere, latimes.com, "From European roots to American sensation: This Ellis Island exhibit celebrates the hot dog and its history," 4 July 2017
Whether there are 699 males who are actually better than Williams is debatable.

— david whitley, OrlandoSentinel.com, "McEnroe's critics cannot be serious," 27 June 2017
Whether voting against the bill — or laying off it — would have improved his challenging re-election prospects is debatable.

— michael smolens, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Port appointment the latest step in resurrection of former councilman," 18 June 2017
What one state governor can do to fight a global, slow-moving disaster is debatable, but Graham promised to join the Climate Alliance, a group of states vowing to uphold the Paris climate agreement despite President Donald Trump pulling out of it.

— dan sweeney, Sun-Sentinel.com, "The Corcoran-Scott Kumbaya Tour comes to South Florida," 14 June 2017
This statement is not a debatable, half-twisted analysis or a cynical opinion.

— michael harriot, The Root, "Hillary Clinton, Jeff Sessions and America’s Secret Slave System," 12 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'debatable.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.