defensible
/dɪˈfensəbl/ (bre, ipa) · /dɪˈfensəbl/ (ame, ipa) · /di-ˈfen(t)-sə-bəl/ (ame, mw)
defensible — adjective
- defensiblepositive
- more defensiblecomparative
- most defensiblesuperlative
1. describes a position, opinion, action, or place that can be protected from attac
describes a position, opinion, action, or place that can be protected from attack or supported by reasons or arguments
Diego argued that the new parking rules were defensible since they improved traffic flow near the school.
defensible applied to policy or regulation
Yuki's choice of research topic was defensible because it filled a gap in existing knowledge.
defensible for academic choice or decision
Aisha showed that the hilltop was defensible from three sides, so the team chose it as a camp.
Kwame found it hard to believe that treating prisoners so harshly was morally defensible.
Is it defensible to spend public money on a stadium while schools need repairs?
- justifiable
more common and slightly less formal; often carries a moral tone suggesting the action was right
- tenable
more formal and narrower; used almost exclusively for arguments, theories, or positions that can hold up under logical scrutiny over time
- defendable
less common variant of defensible; often leans toward physical rather than abstract contexts
- indefensible
direct opposite; an action or opinion that cannot be justified by any reasonable argument
- untenable
suggests an argument or theory that collapses under examination and cannot be maintained
文法句型
be + defensible
defensible + noun
defensible against + noun phrase
用法筆記
Most frequent in formal, academic, and legal writing. The physical-defence meaning (e.g. a defensible fortress) is less common in everyday speech than the abstract meaning (a defensible opinion). Frequently paired with adverbs such as morally, legally, politically, or intellectually.