arguably

adverb

ar·​gu·​ably ˈär-gyü-(ə-)blē How to pronounce arguably (audio)
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Lionel Messi is arguably the greatest soccer scorer of all time. — Ashish Malhotra, NPR, 3 July 2026 That phrase refers to the idea the court must adhere to precedent, and precedent from 1922, even if arguably wrong, must be followed. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026 The Green Bay Packers were arguably the most disappointing team in football last year. — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 It’s also led by arguably (but definitely, in my opinion) the best player to ever play the sport, Lionel Messi. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for arguably

Word History

First Known Use

1851, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of arguably was in 1851

Browse Nearby Words

arguable
arguably
argue
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Arguably.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arguably. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on arguably

Nglish: Translation of arguably for Spanish Speakers

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