colorable

[ kuhl-er-uh-buh l ]

/ ˈkʌl ər ə bəl /

capable of being colored.

seemingly valid, true, or genuine; plausible.

pretended; deceptive.

Origin of colorable

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at color, -able

col·or·a·bil·i·ty, col·or·a·ble·ness, noun col·or·a·bly, adverb non·col·or·a·bil·i·ty, noun non·col·or·a·ble, adjective

non·col·or·a·ble·ness, noun non·col·or·a·bly, adverb pre·col·or·a·ble, adjective un·col·or·a·ble, adjective un·col·or·a·bly, adverb

The enclosed paper, No. 9, is the only colorable evidence of this which has come to my knowledge.

The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, Vol. I (of 9) |Thomas Jefferson
Then she began to seek some colorable ground for what she had heard as she went past the screen behind which he had been working.

The Emperor, Complete |Georg Ebers
If he asks, I shall contrive to find some colorable pretext, probably that you were jealous of me!

Letters of Two Brides |Honore de Balzac
Sports satisfy these requirements of substantial futility together with a colorable make-believe of purpose.

The Theory of the Leisure Class |Thorstein Veblen

What colorable reason could be assigned, in a country so situated, for such vast augmentations of the military force?

The Federalist Papers |Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison