ˈtenəbəl chiefly Brit also ˈtēn- adjective
Etymology: French, capable of being held, from Old French, from tenir to hold (from Latin tenēre ) + -able — more at thin
1.
a. : capable of being defended against attack : defensible
their position was no longer tenable and they retreated to the main line of defense
b. : capable of being maintained against argument or objection : reasonable
a tenable assumption
a tenable theory
a tenable guess
2. archaic : capable of being retained or kept under control
if you have hitherto concealed this sight, let it be tenable in your silence still — Shakespeare
3. : capable of being occupied or used
has been appointed … to the chair of public health, tenable at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine — Science
the scholarships will be tenable for a full, four-year college course — College English
• ten·a·ble·ness -bəlnə̇s noun -es
• ten·a·bly -blē, -li adverb