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debatably

debatably

1 6.1
In a way people can disagree about it
  • adverb
  • /dɪˈbeɪtəbli/
translation icon : discutiblemente
  • While Jefferson may debatably be worth that amount on the open free agent market, it is questionable whether the Jazz should be ready to tie their hands next summer with such an extension.

Examples

  • This is disappointing, but debatably necessary in the short term to come up with a reasonably stable SDK as this lab-only UI evolves.

    Blog text (23)
  • And these whites would have debatably equal evidence to support those views.

    Blog text (7)
  • Debatably, maybe one in ten thousand jobs are worth that much, but "runs website" isn't on that list.

    Blog text (23)
  • Debatably interesting, but it really doesn't matter anymore, because he's marrying me in ten minutes.

  • Turns out that despite the fact that we're both (debatably, of course) strong and empowered women, neither of us identifies as a feminist.

    Blog text (19)
  • Games have been around for millennia and, debatably, have a degree of educational merit, whether it be strategy, math, or a more fundamental understanding of reality, life, and culture.

    Blog text (3)
  • Of these, only six—Taiwan, South Korea, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and debatably Mexico—adopted democracy in the aftermath of economic expansion.

    Academic text (2004)
  • It is employed widely to support knowledge management while several information management tools are promoted as KM tools, but debatably they are not (Igbaria and Shayo, 2007).

    Academic text (2018)
  • Many experts agree, although debatably, that climate change is the biggest threat to our planet.

  • The book is debatably the finest work of literature in the last century, provoking much discussion among critics.

Synonyms

arguably
vsdebatably
135 4.4

People can support it with good reasons, but not everyone accepts it

is used when something remains open to argument or doubt

Antonyms

1.0

Showing that something is true or will happen without any doubt

56 3.9

In a clear way that leaves no doubt

How Certain

undoubtedly
156 3.5
probably
1.0
debatably
1 6.1
possibly
1.0
perhaps
1.0

Surface Forms

debatably positive

Morphology

debatably = debatable (transparent) = debate + able + ly

Forming an adverb by adding '-ly' to 'debatable' is regular and predictable.

Etymology

The word debatably comes from debate, which once meant a 'battle' of words, like a fight of ideas between people. So debatably means 'in a way that can be argued'.