deniable

[ dih-nahy-uh-buhl ]

adjective

1. capable of being or liable to be denied or contradicted.

deniable

/ dɪˈnaɪəbəl /

adjective

1. able to be denied; questionable

Derived Forms

• deˈniably, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of deniable¹

First recorded in 1540–50; deny + -able

Example Sentences

Russia, they said, may believe it can sidestep the sanctions in a deniable way.

From New York Times

It is the most delicate of dances, rife with subtle signals, attacks and feints, and deniable action.

From New York Times

The thing is, reshuffles are always deniable — and put-off-able — until they are physically, publicly and provably under way.

From BBC

"There is a lot of traffic on the surface and everything that happens under the surface is 'deniable.' The challenge for us is to monitor this volume of water."

From Reuters

Analysts and Kremlin-watchers now expect Russia's military intelligence arm, the GRU, to take over much of the direction of Wagner, moving away from direct combat and more into cyber warfare and deniable, 'grey zone' operations.

From BBC