🇵🇹Portuguese Source WordCode: PT

indefensável

Pronunciation / Transliteration: /ĩ.de.fẽˈsɐ.vow/

🇬🇧 Direct English Meaning:
Untenable/ʌnˈtɛn.ə.bəl/
adjectiveCEFR C1 (Advanced)Top #8500 frequency
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🇵🇹 Example Sentence in Portuguese:

"O argumento dele tornou-se indefensável após o debate."

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    An argument, theory, or position that cannot be maintained or defended against criticism or objections.

    "His theory became untenable after the new experimental data was published."
  2. 2

    Not able to be occupied or lived in, typically referring to a building or position.

    "The cost of living in the city center made their tenancy untenable."

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Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the prefix un- (meaning not) combined with tenable, originating from the Old French tenable, from Latin tenere (to hold). Historically used in the 17th century regarding military positions that could no longer be defended, the meaning later expanded to arguments, theories, and positions that cannot be maintained logically.

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