questionable

adjective

ques·​tion·​able ˈkwes-chə-nə-bəl 

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 

ˈkwesh-

in rapid speech ˈkwesh-nə-

adverb

Synonyms of questionable

• dubious
• disputable
• problematic
• debatable
• suspicious
• doubtful
• suspect

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

Interestingly, Randau is not the only filmmaker to explore Kersten’s murky background and questionable claims. — Alissa Simon, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026

Dissenting judges agreed, noting the law banning children at drag shows was passed amid questionable attempts by Florida officials to revoke liquor licenses from venues hosting them. — Ana Goni Lessan, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2026

Evidence pointed to poor neurological assessments, a lack of coordination with medical teams, questionable consent practices and misclassification of causes of death, according to HHS. — Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026

Others may be directed to questionable cryptocurrency exchanges, investment platforms or digital tokens promoted by the course operator. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for questionable

• unquestionable

Kids Definition

questionable

adjective

ques·​tion·​able ˈkwes-chə-nə-bəl 

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

-blē 

adverb