Arguably

How to spell arguably

8 letters · 4 syllables

4 of the 48 people asked to spell arguably in Spelling Garden got it wrong the first time.

How to pronounce arguably

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does arguably mean?

1. adverbAs can reasonably be argued or maintained; possibly the case when judged by the evidence.

Arguably in a sentence

• The new bridge is arguably the finest piece of engineering in the region.

• Working from home is arguably more productive than commuting to an office.

Where does arguably come from?

Language of origin: Latin

This word traces back to the Latin verb arguere, which literally meant 'to make clear, to prove, or to demonstrate', and only later took on the combative sense of disputing a point. It passed into English through Old French arguer during the 1300s as the verb 'argue', meaning to reason or to contend. From 'argue' English built the adjective 'arguable', meaning open to argument or capable of being maintained, and the adverb 'arguably' followed naturally to mean 'as can be argued'. The modern adverb is comparatively young, becoming common only in the twentieth century as a polite way of staking a strong claim while leaving room for debate. The silent 'e' of 'argue' is dropped before the '-able' ending, which is exactly the spot where writers stumble: it is arguably, never 'argueably'.

How the word is built

• argue (from Latin arguere: to make clear, prove)
• -able (capable of)
• -ly (adverb suffix)