indefensible

From in- + defensible.

indefensible (comparative more indefensible, superlative most indefensible)

1. Not defensible; not capable of being defended.

   Synonym: vulnerable

2. (figurative) Not capable of being justified or excused.

   Synonyms: inexcusable, unpardonable, untenable

   • 1953 April, “Arrears of Station Maintenance”, in Railway Magazine, page 217:

     Mr. Elliot's frank statement that "sloth and untidiness are indefensible" is a sign that the task will be tackled with vigour.

   • 2017 May 31, Todd Stern, “Leaving the Paris Agreement Would Be Indefensible”, in The Atlantic‎^[1]:

     The president evidently intends to follow his own misguided calculus. A decision to withdraw would be indefensible. It is important to understand why and to consider what we need to do next.

   • 2023 October 12, Rajan Menon, “Killing civilians is indefensible, whether done by Hamas or Israel”, in The Guardian‎^[2], →ISSN:

     Killing civilians is indefensible, whether done by Hamas or Israel [title]

3. Incapable of being explained.

   Synonyms: untenable, insupportable, invalid

• defensible

• indefensibility
• indefensibleness
• indefensibly

• undefendable

indefensible m or f (masculine and feminine plural indefensibles)

1. (uncommon) alternative form of indefendible

• “indefensible”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025