Standard Lemma guide

debatable

adj · noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: [dɪˈbeɪtəbəɫ]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D AH0 B EY1 T AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Open to debate; not fully proved or confirmed.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Those data are debatable: no one has been able to replicate them.
  • It's debatable whether he is the best candidate for the position.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Able to be debated; up for discussion.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The lack of bonuses this year is not debatable.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A topic that is open to debate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

capable of being disproved

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: disputable

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

open to argument or debate

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • that is a moot question

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: arguable, disputable, moot

Antonyms: none provided

6

adjective satellite

Meaning 6

open to doubt or debate

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • If you ever get married, which seems to be extremely problematic

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: problematic, problematical

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Old French debatable (French débattable), equivalent to debate + -able.

Across languages

Translations

33 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Azerbaijani: mübahisəli — controversial
  • Belarusian: спо́рны (spórny) — controversial
  • Bulgarian: спо́рен (spóren) — controversial
  • Bulgarian: дискусио́нен (diskusiónen) — controversial
  • Catalan: discutible — controversial
  • Chinese Mandarin: 有爭議 /有争议 (yǒuzhēngyì) — controversial
  • Czech: diskutabilní — controversial
  • Dutch: discutabel — controversial
  • Dutch: betwistbaar — controversial
  • Finnish: kyseenalainen — controversial
  • Finnish: epävarma — controversial
  • French: discutable — controversial
  • French: débattable — controversial
  • Galician: discutíbel — controversial
  • Galician: discutible — controversial
  • German: umstritten — controversial
  • German: fraglich — controversial
  • German: strittig — controversial
  • Greek: συζητήσιμος (syzitísimos) — controversial
  • Italian: discutibile — controversial
  • Italian: opinabile — controversial
  • Latin: contrōversus — controversial
  • Manx: yn-arganey — controversial
  • Polish: sporny — controversial
  • Portuguese: discutível — controversial
  • Portuguese: debatível — controversial
  • Romanian: discutabil — controversial
  • Russian: спо́рный (spórnyj) — controversial
  • Russian: дискуссио́нный (diskussiónnyj) — controversial
  • Slovak: diskutabilný — controversial
  • Spanish: debatible — controversial
  • Ukrainian: спі́рний (spírnyj) — controversial
  • Welsh: dadleuol — controversial