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

• dubious
• disputable
• problematical
• 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

Safety Nick Emmanwori, who's dealing with an ankle injury, is listed as doubtful, and running back Zach Charbonnet, who's nursing a foot injury, is listed as questionable. —Anne Erickson, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025

Even Hinch, who has done his best to project calm and confidence during this dastardly stretch, made one of his most questionable decisions in five years managing the Tigers. —Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2025

Once known for dowdy packaging and perhaps questionable tastes or ingredients, the products now compete with national name brands, sparking a shakeup among major food companies. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2025

The group said there are a few small trials examining the drug's use that are methodologically weak, use questionable statistical approaches, and do not justify clinical recommendations. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025

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