arguably

adverb

ar·​gu·​ably ˈär-gyü-(ə-)blē 

: as may be argued or shown by argument

an arguably effective strategy

—used to say that a statement is very possibly true even if it is not certainly true

He was arguably the greatest writer of his era.

Examples of arguably in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

What Wagner experienced with her shrinking congregation is arguably the most urgent challenge facing churches across America. — John Blake, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026

Halloween season is arguably the most festive time of year in Los Angeles. — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

Cornell University’s investigation, of course, did not have to adhere to New York’s arguably archaic criminal standards, but its response, too, has triggered anger and disbelief across airwaves and social media. — Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 1 Oct. 2026

Baidu’s Apollo Go has quietly become, by trip volume, arguably the largest autonomous ride-hailing operation in the world, with more than 20 million cumulative rides and a footprint spanning more than two dozen cities on four continents. — Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above