indefensible vs. undefendable

Status
Not open for further replies.

CarloSsS

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Czech
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
Can I use the word "undefendable" instead of "indefensible" in the following sentence? I know that "indefensible" would sound more natural, but is my version acceptable (albeit less often used) too?

I don’t care if you’d had too much to drink. Your behavior last night was quite undefendable.
 

bhaisahab

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Apr 12, 2008
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
British English
Home Country
England
Current Location
Ireland
Can I use the word "undefendable" instead of "indefensible" in the following sentence? I know that "indefensible" would sound more natural, but is my version acceptable (albeit less often used) too?

I don’t care if you’d had too much to drink. Your behavior last night was quite undefendable.

It's not natural English.
 

BobK

Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Jul 29, 2006
Location
Spencers Wood, near Reading, UK
Member Type
Retired English Teacher
Native Language
English
Home Country
UK
Current Location
UK
You're right that it's more natural. COCA has 'indefensible' collocating with 'behavior' three times, and 'undefendable' never. BNC has 'indefensible' collocating with 'behaviour' once [I added the U, to make the comparison fair], and 'undefendable' never. So why not 'go with the flow'? ;-)

b
 

CarloSsS

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Member Type
Student or Learner
Native Language
Czech
Home Country
Czech Republic
Current Location
Czech Republic
So why not 'go with the flow'? ;-)

Let me tell you why. This was a part of a test in which I was given only a root of a word, in this case it was "defend", and then I had to derive a word that would fit the context using the given root. I used "udefendable" and wondered if it's acceptable. Sadly for me, it isn't.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top