questionable

adjective

ques·​tion·​able ˈkwes-chə-nə-bəl How to pronounce questionable (audio)
ˈkwesh-,
 in rapid speech  ˈkwesh-nə-
1
obsolete : inviting inquiry
2
obsolete : liable to judicial inquiry or action
3
: affording reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged : not certain or exact : problematic
milk of questionable purity
a questionable decision
4
: attended by well-grounded suspicions of being immoral, crude, false, or unsound : dubious
questionable motives
questionableness noun
questionably
ˈkwes-chə-nə-blē How to pronounce questionable (audio)
ˈkwesh-
 in rapid speech  ˈkwesh-nə-
adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for questionable

doubtful, dubious, problematic, questionable mean not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something.

doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

Examples of questionable in a Sentence

The truth of the statements was highly questionable. The water available in the village is of questionable quality. a man of questionable character They acquired the money through questionable means. The company is facing a questionable future.
Recent Examples on the Web Fellow right-hander Blake Treinen is also questionable for the trip, after getting hit in the side by a line drive Saturday that resulted in a bruised lung — but, more importantly, no broken ribs. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Trayce Jackson-Davis is questionable and San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama is out. Michael Nowels, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Winger Troy Terry was a late scratch against Ottawa and will be questionable against Dallas. Andrew Knoll, Orange County Register, 7 Mar. 2024 Jamie Moraga, Franklin Revere NO: The port is generally on the right track with its new master plan, but its failure to take into account the Seaport San Diego project is questionable. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024 Braun is questionable for the Sunflower Showdown because of an ankle sprain suffered Saturday at Baylor. Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2024 Alex Caruso is questionable for Monday’s game due to a right hamstring strain. Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 Trump could make a lot of money from Truth Social’s stock, but its business prospects are questionable. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 27 Feb. 2024 But, being your boss’s sycophantic sidekick is arguably more questionable, if not pathetic (especially in the eyes of others). Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'questionable.' 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

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of questionable was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near questionable

Cite this Entry

“Questionable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/questionable. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

questionable

adjective
ques·​tion·​able ˈkwes-chə-nə-bəl How to pronounce questionable (audio)
ˈkwesh-
1
: open to doubt, question, or challenge : not certain or exact
milk of questionable purity
a questionable decision
2
: believed to be bad, false, or unsound : dubious
questionable motives
questionably adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on questionable

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