colourablycolorablyadv.
/ˈkʌl(ə)rəbli/, U.S. /ˈkələrəbli/ 1. With an appearance of truth or trustworthiness; plausibly; reasonably. Now rare.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > dissimulation, pretence > semblance, outward show > [adverb]
colourablya1400
colourly?1550
speciously1647
plausibly1648
meretriciously1755
fairly1821
a1400 in T. Wright & J. O. Halliwell Reliquiæ Antiquæ (1845) II. 55 (MED) Addyng many lesynges therto so colowrably, that the puple ȝife as myche credense to hem as to the trwthe.
c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 298 (MED) The other alleggid text..mai resonabili and colorabili ynouȝ be vndirstonde, that Crist meened [etc.].
c1475 (c1445) R. Pecock Donet (1921) 7 If bisy and sutil inpugnaciouns schulden be made aȝens hise bokis,..scant ynouȝ oon leef schulde stonde vnprovid or colowrabily vnrebukid.
1548 N. Udall et al. tr. Erasmus Paraphr. Newe Test. I. Matt. xxii. f. 105 Colourably with fayre speakyng should entise him.
1584 J. Rainolds & J. Hart Summe of Conf. i. 47 A Christian witte, and godly minde will search and weigh rather, what should be saide truely, then what may be said probably, or colourably at the lest.
1641 Ld. Digby Speeches High Court Parl. 13 There can be no cause colourably inventable, wherunto to attribute them.
a1667 A. Cowley Of Solitude 91 in Wks. (1668) v If it were as truly as it is colourably and wittily said.
a1718 W. Penn Tracts in Wks. (1726) I. 697 It might have reflected more colourably a kind of neglect upon them.
1767 New Coll. Lett. Persons of Eminence II. 41 The writer's imagination did not serve him with any feasible project of defrauding the state, which might be colourably ascribed to Sejanus.
1845 U.S. Mag. & Democratic Rev. Sept. 239/2 In his powers of mind he is wholly above the ‘puff’ writing of which he is sometimes, very colorably, accused.
1881 A. H. Grant Church Seasons (ed. 2) 277 The Homily, therefore, is more colourably ascribed to St. Cyril.
1972 Times 28 Dec. 6/6 The projections emphasize architecture,..even in Wotan's second encounter with Erda outside what looks colourably like a Venetian palace.
2. Under a feigned or disguised appearance or name; fraudulently; spuriously; in appearance but not in reality. Now rare, except as implied in sense 3.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > dissimulation, pretence > semblance, outward show > [adverb] > in appearance
colourably1433
in show1556
for show1563
affectedly1637
speciously1647
ostensibly1762
ostensively1763
lamb-fashion1810
pretencedly1885
1433 Rolls of Parl.: Henry VI (Electronic ed.) Parl. July 1433 §51. m. 4 So the kynges custume is colourably consealed and enbesiled, to..excessife impovering of the communes of þis roialme.
1523 Act 14 & 15 Hen. VIII c. 4 §1 They occupie here..not only for themselfe but also colourably for other straungers.
1551 J. Bale Actes Eng. Votaryes: 2nd Pt. f. lv Colourably or dyssemblyngly reconcyled.
1581 J. Bell tr. W. Haddon & J. Foxe Against Jerome Osorius 466 Fayningly, and counterfetly or colorably.
1615 J. Greene Refut. Apol. Actors iii. 58 It is the Diuells craft, who sometimes will change himselfe into an Angell of Light, that is will colourably seeme to induce to good.
1738 B. Robins Merchant's Compl. against Spain 6 The King of Spain colourably pretended (tho' not really intended) to be deeply affected to entertain and embrace the said Motion.
1796 Proc. Court Martial J. F. Cawthorne 8 Colonel Cawthorne..fraudulently and colourably, and in a scandalous infamous Manner..executed such Intention.
1868 E. Edwards Life Sir W. Ralegh I. ii. 29 The jewels were sent, colourably..to Germany.
1883 Law Rep.: Queen's Bench Div. 11 436 He..colourably withdrew from the partnership.
1921 Marine Engineer & Naval Architect in Proc. U.N. Naval Inst. (1922) 48 100 Accordingly, many vessels are being sold, or colourably sold, by Swedes to German shipowners.
3. Chiefly Law. With a show of reason or legality; with a prima facie ground or pretext; ostensibly, on the face of it.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > dueness or propriety > [adverb] > with show of justice of claim
colourably1577
1577 M. Hanmer tr. Evagrius Scholasticus iii. xxxii, in Aunc. Eccl. Hist. 463 To thende he might colourablye depose him.
1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan iii. xlii. 277 There is no other place that can so much as colourably be drawn to countenance the Casting out of the Church faithfull men.
1695 J. Sage Fund. Charter Presbytery 182 This was to give them Law on their side..and then, there was no recovering of what was thus colourably possessed.
1750 in G. Lamoine Charges to Grand Jury (1992) 364 Ye Judge..is thereupon to Bail him if his Case allows it and [he] is not to be again Comitted for the same offence or Charge tho Colourably varyd in form.
1786 E. Burke Speech 26 Apr. in Jrnls. House of Commons (1803) XLI. 614/2 The whole Expense of which..could not be even colourably disposed of at the pretended Will of the said Nabob.
1849 F. Wharton Precedents of Indictments & Pleas iv. ix. 219 Even on these statutes, proof that the prosecutor holds colourably as a freeholder or leaseholder, will suffice.
1862 Sat. Rev. 13 Sept. 308 No one could doubt that the issue was at least colourably different.
1909 Atlantic Reporter 71 347/1 A justice of the peace Is immune if he acts in a matter colorably within his jurisdiction.
1999 Columbus (Ohio) Disp. (Nexis) 10 Feb. b6 No acts which were even colorably criminal on her part.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adv.a1400