indefensible

adjective

in·​de·​fen·​si·​ble ˌin-di-ˈfen(t)-sə-bəl 

1

a

: incapable of being maintained as right or valid : untenable

b

: incapable of being justified or excused : inexcusable

indefensible comments

2

: incapable of being protected against physical attack

indefensibility

ˌin-di-ˌfen(t)-sə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

indefensibly

ˌin-di-ˈfen(t)-sə-blē 

adverb

Synonyms

• inexcusable
• inexpiable
• insupportable
• unforgivable
• unjustifiable
• unpardonable
• unwarrantable

Examples of indefensible in a Sentence

The company adopted an indefensible position on the issue.

His behavior is ethically indefensible.

The city is in an indefensible location.

Recent Examples on the Web

Continuing to post on X has been indefensible for some time. —Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024

Photo: Buena Vista Pictures/Everett Collection The only flat-out indefensible film in Coppola’s career, Jack serves mainly to underscore all the ways in which Big could have gone horribly wrong. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 27 Sep. 2024

What an indefensible, reprehensible & disrespectful thing to have done. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2024

Trump’s lies about having won that election in a landslide are indefensible, but glossing over them is a price Vance has been willing to pay for his political career. —The Editors, National Review, 2 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

indefensible

adjective

in·​de·​fen·​si·​ble ˌin-di-ˈfen(t)-sə-bəl 

: impossible to defend

an indefensible position