questionable

adjective

ques·​tion·​able ˈkwes-chə-nə-bəl How to pronounce questionable (audio)
ˈkwesh-
in rapid speech ˈkwesh-nə-
Synonyms of questionablenext
1
obsolete : inviting inquiry
2
obsolete : liable to judicial inquiry or action
3
: affording reason for being doubted, questioned, or challenged : not certain or exact : problematic
milk of questionable purity
a questionable decision
4
: attended by well-grounded suspicions of being immoral, crude, false, or unsound : dubious
questionable motives
questionableness noun
questionably
ˈkwes-chə-nə-blē How to pronounce questionable (audio)
ˈkwesh-
in rapid speech ˈkwesh-nə-
adverb

Synonyms of questionable

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Choose the Right Synonym for questionable

doubtful, dubious, problematic, questionable mean not affording assurance of the worth, soundness, or certainty of something.

doubtful implies little more than a lack of conviction or certainty.

doubtful about whether I said the right thing

dubious stresses suspicion, mistrust, or hesitation.

dubious about the practicality of the scheme

problematic applies especially to things whose existence, meaning, fulfillment, or realization is highly uncertain.

whether the project will ever be finished is problematic

questionable may imply no more than the existence of doubt but usually suggests that the suspicions are well-grounded.

a man of questionable honesty

Examples of questionable in a Sentence

The truth of the statements was highly questionable. The water available in the village is of questionable quality. a man of questionable character They acquired the money through questionable means. The company is facing a questionable future.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the full game tape shows those are few and far between — his hesitation and questionable decisions make the lowlights a near-constant. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026 In each of those cases and more than a dozen others, USA TODAY flagged their patterns of questionable searches before their own agencies did. — Kenny Jacoby, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Vincent Carchietta / Imagn Images via Reuters Connect NEW YORK — Tuesday night made the New York Yankees’ decision not to add at least one high-leverage reliever at the trade deadline look questionable at best, and befuddling at worst. — Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 On July 31, Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a questionable letter to the bishops regarding exemptions to school vaccination requirements. — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 26 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for questionable

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of questionable was in the 15th century

Rhymes for questionable

See All Rhymes for questionable

Browse Nearby Words

question
questionable
questionableness
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Cite this Entry

“Questionable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/questionable. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

questionable

adjective
ques·​tion·​able ˈkwes-chə-nə-bəl How to pronounce questionable (audio)
ˈkwesh-
1
: open to doubt, question, or challenge : not certain or exact
milk of questionable purity
a questionable decision
2
: believed to be bad, false, or unsound : dubious
questionable motives
questionably
-blē How to pronounce questionable (audio)
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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