a. [f. CONTEST v. + -ABLE; perh. a. mod.F. contestable (Cotgr.).] That may be contested; disputable, debatable.
1702. J. Logan, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., IX. 97. If it proves so contestable.
1761. Hist. Europe, in Ann. Reg., 39/2. The contrary of this proposition is at least extremely contestable.
1889. Gladstone, Sp. in Parl., 20 Feb. I do not recollect for many years a case in which the House has been called upon to express an opinion on contestable matter in the Address to the Throne.
Hence Contestableness.
1730–6. in Bailey (folio); whence 1755 in Johnson; and in mod. Dicts.
