arguable

adjective

ar·​gu·​able ˈär-gyü-ə-bəl How to pronounce arguable (audio)
1
: not certain or clearly true : open to argument, dispute, or question
an arguable point
2
: able to be plausibly or convincingly argued
used to say that there are good reasons for believing that a statement is true
It's arguable that catching [in baseball] today is far more difficult than it was in the 1950s, primarily because the running game is now so dominant.Peter Gammons

Examples of arguable in a Sentence

That word's pronunciation is arguable. That is an arguable point of view.
Recent Examples on the Web And on April 30, Washington Performing Arts welcomes the arguable highlight of the spring roster of visitors, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, led by one of the classical world’s most charismatic conductors, Sir Simon Rattle. Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024 The defending national champion didn’t land an easy path, with last season’s Final Four participants Florida Atlantic and San Diego State, and an arguable No. 1 seed in Iowa State all in the same region. Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 While the gems are arguable the star of the show, this watch gets the unique addition of Akoya pearls on the crown and bracelet, which also features a little more sparkle in the form of 48 princess-cut diamonds on the decorative links and 55 diamonds on the fold over clasp. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2024 This past Saturday, the fever around the hole hit its arguable peak when a wedding ceremony was officiated in front of it. Steffi Cao, The Atlantic, 26 Jan. 2024 Finally, the arguable oddness of the product selection, descriptions, and carnival-style promotions, while charming to some shoppers, likely positions the site as a place for low-budget splurges rather than everyday necessities. Drew Bernstein, Forbes, 15 Feb. 2024 A week later, alongside Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), Klobuchar announced a Senate hearing aimed at analyzing competition (or the arguable lack thereof) in the ticketing industry, setting up what Klobuchar acknowledges is a bipartisan issue across the country. Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2023 The easiest way to confront the legacy of Breakin’, and its arguable cinematic and cultural contributions, is by defining its indubitably disagreeable elements as, for all intents and purposes, an exploitation film. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 19 Dec. 2023 Editor of Harper’s and fellow Gen Xer Christopher Beha sat down with Smith to discuss intergenerational relations, how Smith’s essay evolved over the editorial process, and how art at its best interrogates the arguable and not the obvious. Justin E. H. Smith, Harper's Magazine, 30 Aug. 2023

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

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of arguable was circa 1611

Dictionary Entries Near arguable

Cite this Entry

“Arguable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arguable. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

arguable

adjective
ar·​gu·​able ˈär-gyü-ə-bəl How to pronounce arguable (audio)
: open to argument, dispute, or question
arguably
-(ə-)blē
adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on arguable

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