What does tenable mean?
Tenable is a formal adjective meaning that an argument, hypothesis, position, or explanation can be maintained and defended against serious objection. A tenable claim is not necessarily proven or universally accepted; it is simply credible and logically sound enough to remain in serious debate. The word appears often in academic, legal, political, and critical discussion, as in "a tenable position" or "a tenable hypothesis." It also carries a mild connotation of being defensible rather than obviously weak or fanciful, which makes it useful for judging the strength of ideas without declaring them true. Tenable contrasts with indefensible or untenable positions. Its Latin ancestry links it to the idea of holding: from Latin tenere, "to hold," through French, the same root produced words such as tenant, tenure, tenacious, and retain. Learning tenable therefore adds both a precise evaluative adjective and a memorable root that connects many familiar English words.
adjectiveAble to be maintained, defended, or kept in force, especially of an argument, hypothesis, position, or explanation.
- Able to be maintained or kept in force without contradiction or serious weakness.
- Able to be defended in argument or debate, especially as an explanation, hypothesis, or position.
"The researchers proposed a tenable explanation for the discrepancy."
"The minister defended a tenable position on public spending despite intense criticism."
"The evidence supports the hypothesis, although it remains a tenable proposal rather than a proven explanation."
Tenable comes from the same Latin root as tenant, tenure, and retain: all begin with the ancient idea of holding.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tenable come from?
Tenable entered English in the early 17th century from the French adjective tenable. The French word was derived from Latin tenere, meaning "to hold." The same Latin root underlies cognates including tenant, tenure, tenacious, and retain.
Related word forms
How tenable is actually used
This is chiefly a formal adjective used in academic, legal, political, and critical contexts. It describes a claim as defensible, not necessarily true or conclusively proved.
Easily confused with tenable
A tenable claim is one that can be defended against objection, whereas a tangible claim concerns something that can be perceived or proved.