Definitions

debatable

[dih-bey-tuh-buhl] / dɪˈbeɪ tə bəl /

ADJECTIVE

controversial

Synonyms

STRONGEST

arguable doubtful dubious moot problematic questionable uncertain

WEAK

between rock and hard place between sixes and sevens betwixt and between bone of contention borderline chancy contestable disputable iffy in dispute mootable open to question problematical the jury's out touch and go undecided unsettled up for discussion

Antonyms

STRONGEST

certain clear decided definite proven resolved settled sure unquestionable

WEAK

inarguable incontrovertible indubious questionable uncontestable undoubted

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To my mind, the top six or seven are obvious - even if the order is debatable - but it's those who fill the remaining spots that will no doubt spark the biggest talking point.

From BBC • Jun. 11, 2026

Whether that happened is debatable; what is not is that “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” also influenced him, manifesting in the lyrics’ repeated invitation to “Take a ride in the sky/On our ship, fantasize.”

From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026

The environmentalist arguments against dredging are at best debatable, if not easily refuted.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

And he wanted to show that the state Supreme Court’s ruling that Pitchford’s lawyer had waived relief was not merely debatable but unreasonable even by the AEDPA’s demanding standards.

From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026

But, with luck, the addition of magnesium or possibly calcium ions to the sugar-phosphate backbone would quickly generate an elegant structure, the correctness of which would not be debatable.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

Vocabulary lists containing debatable

Amal Unbound

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Kwame Crashes the Underworld

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Cope Field

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