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supportable

A2
Rare

Pronunciation

UK

  • /səpˈɔːtəbəl/

US

  • /səˈpɔrtəbəl/

Meanings

Adjective

  1. able to be justified or backed up with reasons or evidence

  2. able to be maintained, borne, or paid for without excessive strain

Beyond the definition

Something is supportable when there are good reasons, facts, or evidence behind it. Think of a detective showing evidence for a theory, or a politician defending a policy. It means the idea can stand up to questions or criticism. A weak argument is not supportable; a clear, well-reasoned one is. You might say a claim is "supportable by the data," meaning the data backs it up. Sometimes it also means something can be kept going or endured, like a pace in a long run.

Examples

  1. 1

    Decision reason

    The committee needs a supportable reason for rejecting the proposal.

  2. 2

    Research evidence

    His conclusion is supportable only if the survey data are accurate.

    • Patternsupportable only if

      defensible only under that condition

  3. 3

    Legal status

    The court said the officer’s actions were supportable under the law.

    • Domainsupportable under the law

      legally defensible

  4. 4

    Long-term finance

    The company’s debt was manageable for a while, but it was not supportable in the long term.

    • Phrasein the long term

      over a long period of time

See also

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • supportable claim
  • supportable argument
  • supportable by evidence
  • legally supportable

Word family

Explore

  • evidential support
  • burden of proof

Forms and spellings

1 form open this card.

Main spelling

  • supportableadjective