Untenable

Pronunciation varies by accent · adjective

Meaning

Not able to be held or sustained, such as of an opinion or position..

Definitions by Sense

1. Not able to be held or sustained, such as of an opinion or position.
2. Unfit for habitation.

Example Sentences

The theory of cold fusion was untenable.

They are seeking to escape from the unpleasant implications of an untenable status dilemma. They desire but cannot afford a prestigious social status.

The rumors about Anderson nevertheless placed Glasgow in an untenable social position, for close friends either suspected or knew of their engagement.

The modern family would be an artificial and untenable social structure in this early period, just as the clan appears to be an artificial institution in our own society.

Celebrating him [Robert E. Lee] in the time of George Floyd became, at last, untenable.

He describes the untenable position of the railways' finances reasonably dispassionately. From 1952 onwards, British Railways ran an operational deficit, and in 1961 made an annual loss of £86.9 million.

The Site Director was expected to initiate DISCIDIUM Protocol should the situation become untenable; so far as remote observation of the remains of Ipperwash Park above can show, this was not done. Transmissions are occasionally intercepted from the Site, and after memetic 'washing' by RAISA have been determined to originate from uncompromised personnel conducting a war of attrition against the above-mentioned entities. It is from their reports that the majority of this information, save for that regarding SCP-001-A, has been derived. As an understanding of each entity may aid in the defeat of SCP-001-A, no action has been taken to remove Site-43 from operational effectiveness.

[…] ceilings, staircases, all that make a house habitable had vanished in the flare of his conflagration, and since his soul could no longer dwell there, it dwelt instead, so to speak, in the pleasant garden which surrounded the untenable house.

Synonyms for untenable

Antonyms for untenable

Related Words

Word Forms

• more untenable
• most untenable

Usage Notes

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