Definition

The quality of being able to be held or defended, especially in an argument or position.

Example

The tenableness of her argument was questioned during the debate.

Conversation

I was reading about different theories, and I found the concept of tenableness really interesting.

Oh, that sounds cool! What does it mean exactly?

It refers to the quality of being tenable, like how valid an argument is.

Got it! That’s definitely useful when discussing ideas.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Tenableness → It is formed from "tenere" (meaning to hold) and the suffix "-able" (meaning capable of). The word "tenableness" refers to the quality of being capable of being held or maintained.

Memory Tip

Think of 'holding' ('tenere') something and being 'capable' ('-able') of doing so — that's why tenableness means the quality of being able to be held.

Visually Confused Words