untenable
adjective
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Untenable and its opposite tenable come to us from the Old French verb tenir ("to hold, have possession of"), and ultimately from the Latin verb tenēre ("to hold, occupy, possess"). We tend to use untenable in situations where an idea or position is so off base that holding onto it is unjustified or inexcusable. One way to hold onto the meaning of untenable is to associate it with other tenēre descendants whose meanings are associated with "holding" or "holding onto." Tenacious ("holding fast") is one example. Others are contain, detain, sustain, maintain, and retain. Spanish speakers may also recognize tenēre as a predecessor of the commonplace verb tener, which retains the meaning of "to hold or possess."
Examples of untenable in a Sentence
Marian Burros, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2002
But scholars are citizens, too, and if it is wrongheaded to demand political payoff from basic research, it would be equally untenable to demand that research be quarantined from the real-world considerations that weigh so heavily upon us.
—Henry Louis Gates, Jr., New York Times, 4 Apr. 1998
All the theories of the Moon's origin proposed before the Apollo Moon landings of 1969 … became untenable when the rocks returned from the Moon proved to be as old as the Earth and significantly dissimilar.
—Physics Today, January 1997
The problem was then resolved—not by finding that the conduct in question was justified, because that would have offended the judge's sense of order, and not by rejecting the applicability of the defense, which would have led to a reportable opinion and an appeal—but through a dismissal of the charges on the wholly untenable ground that the prosecution had not proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
—Edward N. Costikyan, New York Times Book Review, 13 Mar. 1988
Aaron Leibowitz, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2025
Some fiscal conservatives tend never to vote for CRs, making the whip count for the Republican side untenable.
—Victoria Knight, Axios, 27 Feb. 2025
Our walking adventures always felt risky, and the situation has become untenable for some families.
—Midori Valdivia, New York Daily News, 22 Feb. 2025
As one mom recently explained, these working conditions are simply unfair and untenable for parents.
—Elisabeth Sherman, Parents, 21 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for untenable
Cite this Entry
“Untenable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/untenable. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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untenable
adjective
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