colorable
adjective
col·or·able ˈkə-lə-rə-bəl 
-lər-ə-,
ˈkəl-rə-
1
: seemingly valid or genuine
a colorable claim in law
2
: intended to deceive : counterfeit
colorable and false pretenses
colorably
ˈkə-lə-rə-blē
adverb -lər-ə-
ˈkəl-rə-
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Gromacki is particularly a fan of the colorable mats — just the thing to entertain guests at the kids’ table. 
Christina Tkacik, baltimoresun.com, 8 Nov. 2021 There is not a single court in the country that has found his campaign’s claims to be credible and with good reason: There has been no evidence presented to support them and no colorable argument made to support the attacks. Janine Geske, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2020 Would Miranda have had a colorable defense premised on using unprotectable historical facts? Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2019 The inspector general’s job is to ensure that colorable allegations of misconduct against Justice Department officials (including FBI officials) are thoroughly examined, so that all of the relevant facts are uncovered. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 3 Aug. 2019 The problem is easy to understand and start working on, and there is a clear measure of success: lowering the number of vertices in a non-four-colorable graph. Evelyn Lamb, WIRED, 30 Apr. 2018 Frum might have had a colorable case that journalism’s role in a free society is so important that the occasional falsehood, whatever its provenance, must be tolerated. Varad Mehta, National Review, 15 Dec. 2017 One can make the colorable claim that credibility matters little in a movie in which Vin Diesel drives a flaming car backwards through the middle of a city and an orange Lamborghini is chased across a Russian ice floe by a submarine. Sam Adams, Slate Magazine, 13 Apr. 2017 The adverse events at Alere are enough to make a colorable claim for a MAC, certainly. Steven Davidoff Solomon, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2016 See More
Christina Tkacik, baltimoresun.com, 8 Nov. 2021 There is not a single court in the country that has found his campaign’s claims to be credible and with good reason: There has been no evidence presented to support them and no colorable argument made to support the attacks. Janine Geske, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 27 Nov. 2020 Would Miranda have had a colorable defense premised on using unprotectable historical facts? Eriq Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Sep. 2019 The inspector general’s job is to ensure that colorable allegations of misconduct against Justice Department officials (including FBI officials) are thoroughly examined, so that all of the relevant facts are uncovered. Andrew C. Mccarthy, National Review, 3 Aug. 2019 The problem is easy to understand and start working on, and there is a clear measure of success: lowering the number of vertices in a non-four-colorable graph. Evelyn Lamb, WIRED, 30 Apr. 2018 Frum might have had a colorable case that journalism’s role in a free society is so important that the occasional falsehood, whatever its provenance, must be tolerated. Varad Mehta, National Review, 15 Dec. 2017 One can make the colorable claim that credibility matters little in a movie in which Vin Diesel drives a flaming car backwards through the middle of a city and an orange Lamborghini is chased across a Russian ice floe by a submarine. Sam Adams, Slate Magazine, 13 Apr. 2017 The adverse events at Alere are enough to make a colorable claim for a MAC, certainly. Steven Davidoff Solomon, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2016 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English, borrowed from Anglo-French, from colurer "to color entry 2, give the appearance (of), cover up" + -able -able
First Known Use
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Legal Definition
colorable
adjective
col·or·able
: having an appearance of truth, validity, or right
if a colorable claim — or better — can be pleaded D. F. Kolb and M. P. Carroll
D. F. Kolb and M. P. Carrollcolorable
adjective
as in plausible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- plausible
- credible
- cogent
- convincing
- substantiated
- corroborated
- actual
- real
- certified
- certain
- confirmed
- validated
- verified
- reasonable
- rational
- valid
- sure
- logical
- solid
- true
- justified
- reasoned
- just
- sensible
- commonsense
- firm
- commonsensical
- hard
- sober
- good
- commonsensible
- well-founded
- informed
- levelheaded
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- unreasonable
- groundless
- irrational
- nonsensical
- illogical
- unfounded
- invalid
- unjustified
- unsound
- nonrational
- unwarranted
- unsupported
- unsubstantiated
- uninformed
- implausible
- flimsy
- unreasoned
- false
- unconvincing
- weak
- nonvalid
- fallacious
- misguided
- misled