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

• debatable
• disputable
• dodgy [chiefly British]
• doubtable
• doubtful
• dubious
• dubitable
• equivocal
• fishy
• problematic
• problematical
• queer
• shady
• shaky
• suspect
• suspicious

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

The military benefit of Ukraine’s bombing campaign is also of questionable value, U.S. officials say. —John Hudson, Washington Post, 15 Apr. 2024

The independent budget analyst is supposed to play a critical role in decisions related to San Diego city real estate deals, after an audit released in 2021 that examined a number of prior, questionable transactions. —Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Apr. 2024

Their domestic interactions are funny and natural, and their healthy skepticism of the police has real consequences and informs their questionable decision-making. —Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024

Bruce Brown and Gary Trent Jr. are listed as questionable. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2024

The Kings are listing Keegan Murray as questionable due to left calf soreness. —Jason Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 11 Apr. 2024

Regardless of the questionable merits of Berliner’s sweeping conclusions, his piece has been nothing short of a massive gift to the right, which has made vilifying the news media its top priority in recent years. —Oliver Darcy, CNN, 11 Apr. 2024

The game was ugly, with thirty turnovers between the two teams, including several at key moments—plus questionable officiating and a level of physicality that seemed on the edge of chaos. —Louisa Thomas, The New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2024

According to the logline, Maria then embarked on a questionable relationship with her stepbrother Raffy. —K.j. Yossman, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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