Defensable

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Able to be protected or guarded against assault or invasion ; capable of being supported or upheld as reasonable and valid
2. Capable of withstanding attack or resistance from enemies ; able to be maintained or argued for as sound and acceptable
3. That can be fortified against hostile forces or assault ; that can be vindicated or sustained through reasoned explanation or evidence

Etymology: Many readers would expect "defensable" to be the original spelling, but the standard form is "defensible." That word came into English through Old French "defensible" from Late Latin "defensibilis," built on Latin "defendere," meaning "to ward off." The Latin verb combines "de-" with "fendere," "to strike." "Defensable" is a later variant, formed by analogy with the much more common suffix "-able," as in "lovable" or "readable." Dictionaries record it as an accepted alternative, but "defensible" is the spelling they give first.

Synonyms: defensible, tenable, justifiable

Antonyms: indefensible, unjustifiable