Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
tenableness

tenableness

9.1
The quality of an idea or argument that can be defended as reasonable
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛnəblnəs/
  • Formal
translation icon : tenibilidad
  • The lawyer argued for the tenableness of his client's position throughout the trial.

Examples

  • They doubted the tenableness of the theory once new evidence was presented.

  • The tenableness of her argument convinced the entire committee to support her proposal.

  • The tenableness of her argument was widely acknowledged.

  • Is the tenableness of this theory still valid?

  • The tenableness of her argument convinced the entire committee to support her proposal.

  • They doubted the tenableness of the theory once new evidence was presented.

  • The lawyer argued for the tenableness of his client's position throughout the trial.

Synonyms

validity
vstenableness
  • Specialized
56 4.4

Showing that an idea is logical and factually correct

is about being defended or accepted rather than strict factual soundness
legitimacy
vstenableness
45 4.8

A state in which people accept something as true or right

is about being defensible and reasonable rather than only socially accepted
plausibility
vstenableness
11 7.0

How likely something is to be true

is about real ability to be defended or accepted not just appearance
reasonableness
vstenableness
8 3.7

A quality of being fair, sensible, and showing good judgment

is centered on being defended or accepted not on fairness or moderation
acceptability
vstenableness
5 4.8

How much people think something is good enough

is more about being defendable and reasonable than meeting standards
tenability
vstenableness
  • Formal
8.4

Able to be defended or accepted as reasonable

is the identical sense but uses a different noun ending
justifiability
vstenableness
7.6

How reasonable something looks when someone explains or defends it

is about being defended or accepted rather than only shown
supportability
vstenableness
  • Formal
7.2

The ability of an idea to be backed by facts

is about being defended or accepted rather than only backed
rationalness
vstenableness
6.6

Actions or ideas based on clear reasons and careful thought

is focused on being defendable and accepted rather than only logical
plausibleness
vstenableness
7.0

How likely something seems to be true

focuses on actual defendability and acceptance rather than mere appearance

Antonyms

untenability
9.1

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

indefensibility
9.0

Impossible to excuse or protect from criticism

How Defensible

soundness
4 4.9
tenableness
  • Formal
9.1

Surface Forms

tenableness singular
tenablenesses plural

Morphology

tenableness = tenable (transparent) = tenable + ness

Formed by the regular derivation -ness from the adjective 'tenable', yielding the quality or state of being tenable.

Etymology

Tenableness comes from the Latin root tenere, which means 'to hold', and you can see the same idea in common words like tenant and retain that are about holding. So tenableness is the quality of an idea you can 'hold up' or defend — in other words, something you can support or accept as reasonable.