Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
indefensibility

indefensibility

9.0
Impossible to excuse or protect from criticism
  • noun
  • /ˌɪndɪˈfɛnsəˌbɪlɪti/
translation icon : indefensabilidad
  • Many experts pointed out the indefensibility of the outdated policy during the meeting.

Examples

  • The lawyer argued that the indefensibility of his client's actions made it impossible to win the case.

  • The Land of Hope, as a title, doesn't offer a whole lot of wiggle room: it's either crushingly, cynically ironic, or totally sincere, even to the point of saccharine indefensibility.

    Blog text (2)

  • They are a lesbian couple I wrote about almost two years ago in a story illustrating the indefensibility of DOMA.

    Blog text (23)

  • The indefensibility of his reasoning left the audience questioning his credibility.

Synonyms

untenability
vsindefensibility
9.1

The state of something that cannot be defended or shown to be right

emphasizes inability to be protected from attack or criticism rather than maintained
inexcusability
vsindefensibility
9.0

A state when an action is so wrong that people cannot excuse or justify it

focuses on being impossible to protect from attack or criticism rather than moral excuse

Antonyms

defensibility
7.1

Ability to resist attack, criticism, or challenge

justifiability
7.6

How reasonable something looks when someone explains or defends it

How Defensible

indefensibility
9.0

Surface Forms

indefensibility singular
indefensibilities plural

Morphology

indefensibility = indefensible (semi-transparent) = in + defens + ible + ity

This is a regular abstract noun formed from the adjective 'indefensible' with '-ity'.

Etymology

Indefensibility starts with in- meaning 'not' and uses defend, which means 'to protect' or 'to speak for' and is the same root as defense. So indefensibility is the quality of being 'not able to be defended', something you cannot protect or justify.