untenable

Untenable is an adjective used to describe something that cannot be defended, justified, or maintained. In intellectual, legal, or policy contexts, a claim, position, or argument may be called untenable if it lacks evidence, contradicts known facts, or cannot be rationally sustained. It can also describe a physical situation or structure that cannot be defended or protected against attack or exposure.

Etymology: The word comes from un- (not) + tenable, with tenable deriving from Old French tenir (“to hold”) and ultimately from Latin tenere (“to hold”). The sense of not being possible to hold or defend emerged in English usage.

Usage: In practice, labeling a position untenable signals that it is not credible or viable and is unlikely to withstand scrutiny. For example, a political policy may be described as untenable if it imposes undue burdens without adequate benefit, or a legal argument may be untenable if it rests on faulty reasoning. In military contexts, a fortress or frontline position can be described as untenable if it cannot be defended against an attacking force, making withdrawal or surrender likely.

See also: Indefensible, unsustainable, unworkable, untenability, defensible.