defensible

English

Etymology

From Old French defensable, from Latin defensibilem. Equivalent to defense +‎ -ible.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /dɪˈfɛn.sɪ.bəl/, [dɪˈfɛn.sɪ.bɫ]

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• (General Australian) IPA^(key): [dɪˈfen.sɪ.bɫ]

Adjective

defensible (comparative more defensible, superlative most defensible)

1. (of an installation, etc.) Capable of being defended against armed attack.
   • 1907, Ronald M. Burrows, The Discoveries In Crete, page 11:

     Not only were those cities fortified, but their architects based their whole system on the strategical possibilities of the site, and closely followed its defensible contours.

2. (of an argument, etc.) Capable of being justified.
   • 1949, F. A. Hayek, “The Intellectuals and Socialism”, in University of Chicago Law Review, volume 16, number 3, Chicago: University of Chicago, →DOI, page 430:

     Those who are most familiar with the working of the present society are also usually interested in the preservation of particular features of that society which may not be defensible on general principle.

Synonyms

• (capable of being defended): defendable

Antonyms

• indefensible

Derived terms

• defensibility
• defensibleness
• defensibly
• undefensible

Translations

capable of being defended

Bulgarian: защитим (bg) (zaštitim) Danish: forsvarlig, som kan forsvares Ido: defensebla (io) Italian: sostenibile (it), difendibile (it), tenibile Manx: so-choadey Portuguese: defensável Spanish: defendible

capable of being justified

Danish: forsvarlig, som kan forsvares Italian: difendibile (it), sostenibile (it), tenibile Norwegian: Bokmål: forsvarlig Portuguese: defensável Spanish: sostenible (es)

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