Dictionary

arguably en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈɑɹɡjuəbli/ (General-American)
• /ˈɑːɡjuəbli/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂erǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-us Proto-Indo-European *h₂érǵus Proto-Italic *argusder.? Latin arguōder. Old French arguerbor. Middle English arguen English argue Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English arguable Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English arguably From arguable + -ly.

Meanings

1. As can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty.
   • By random chance alone, 99 times out of 100, the Lions should have won an NFL or NFC championship. Worse for arguably the league’s unluckiest fan base, the Lions haven’t really been competitive. 2022 February 12, Harry Enten, “Cincinnati Bengals vs. Los Angeles Rams: The unluckiest sports teams and other Super Bowl musings”, in CNN, archived from the original on 20 Aug 2025:
   • To exploit travel economies of scale, RAIL buys a four-in-eight-day Rail Rover. This is now known as the 'Spirit of Scotland Travelpass', although older users may remember it as the 'Freedom of Scotland' - arguably a better name. 2025 March 5, “Ayr miles with a 'Spirit of Scotland'”, in RAIL, number 1030, page 43:
   • In the early 1770s the bogey figure for opposition politicians was arguably not so much North in the Commons as Mansfield behind the curtain, the country's greatest lawyer (and another Caledonian to gratify the Scotophobes) keeping an irresolute Cabinet committed to waging war in America. 2004, Barry Coward, Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theory in Early Modern Europe: From the Waldensians to the French Revolution:

Forms

Relateds

demonstrably · debatably · disputably

Synonyms

disputably · defensibly · possibly

Translations (21)

tr tartışmalı şekilde (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · fr sans doute (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · de vertretbarerweise (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · fr peut-être (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · pt provavelmente (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · nl onderbouwbaar (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · fi otaksuttavasti (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · ru как мо́жно доказа́ть (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · es argüiblemente (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · cmn 按理說 /按理说 (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · pt discutivelmente (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · tr tartışmasız (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · da velsagtens (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · nl verdedigbaar (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · fr probablement (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · cmn 可以說 /可以说 (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · pl zapewne (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · fi luultavasti (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · de wohl (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · fr possiblement (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty) · sv enligt mångas förmenande (as can be supported or proven by sound logical deduction, evidence, and precedent, but without absolute certainty)