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 (General American):

    (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.

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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• Benefields