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undefensible

undefensible

7.7
Not possible to show as right or acceptable
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌndɪˈfɛnsəbl/
translation icon : indefendible
  • Actually, the most important difference is that if not for the Iraq invasion, all those foreign Islamist crazies blowing people up in Iraq (and being killed by the thousands) would instead be doing their damndest to get across our undefended and near undefensible borders.

Examples

  • Again, childish attacks typical of liberals in defense of the undefensible.

    Blog text (30)
  • And what happened to that man... undefensible.

  • And another thing, any judge who'd agree that cutting from whole cloth a right to privacy conferring the right to end a human life in its most incontrovertibly innocent and undefensible, vulnerable state is not going to be a strict constitutional constructionalist.

    Blog text (7)
  • The defendant's actions were simply undefensible in the eyes of the jury.

  • Her explanation for missing the deadline was undefensible and did not satisfy the committee.

  • The policy was deemed undefensible by many experts, leading to its eventual repeal.

Synonyms

inexcusable
vsundefensible
35 5.6

Too bad to be forgiven

targets inability to defend or justify a position, not moral forgiveness
untenable
vsundefensible
27 8.2

Impossible to defend against criticism

is broader, applying equally to justification as well as defense in argument
indefensible
vsundefensible
24 7.5

People cannot show a decision or action is right when others criticize it

is the same idea but framed as the general judgment rather than a label
unjustifiable
vsundefensible
5 6.8

You cannot show it is right or acceptable

narrows this to being impossible to defend or justify in argument
unsupportable
vsundefensible
4 6.8

No one can show it is right

emphasizes inability to be justified specifically in a discussion or situation
insupportable
vsundefensible
  • Formal
2 7.8

Impossible to defend or accept without proof

focuses more narrowly on being impossible to defend in argument or debate
undefendable
vsundefensible
1 7.4

Too weak to be protected from attack or criticism

focuses on lack of justification in argument rather than physical protection
completely indefensible
vsundefensible
1 8.1

An action or comment that no one can give a good reason for

expresses the same impossibility but without the added intensifying emphasis
unwarrantable
vsundefensible
1 9.2

Cannot be shown to be right or fair

is about lack of possible defense or justification in general situations
nonsustainable
vsundefensible
7.9

Cannot be supported by proof or good reasons

is similar but less focused on the role of evidence or reason
unmaintainable
vsundefensible
  • Formal
7.9

Not able to be defended in an argument or court

focuses on inability to defend or justify within argument rather than continuation

Antonyms

37 5.1

Fair or acceptable because of the situation

19 5.5

Able to resist attack or strong criticism

How Defensible

defensible
19 5.5
justifiable
37 5.1
undefensible
7.7
questionable
176 3.9

Surface Forms

undefensible positive

Morphology

undefensible = defensible (transparent) = un + defend + ible

Formed by adding the productive negative prefix 'un-' to 'defensible', whose relation to 'defend' + '-ible' is clear.

Etymology

Undefensible is made from un- meaning 'not' and defensible, from defend meaning 'to protect' or 'support', like the everyday word defense. So undefensible describes something you cannot protect, defend, or justify.