credibilitycred‧i‧bil‧i‧ty /ˌkredəˈbɪləti/ ●○○ noun [uncountable] 
The scandal has damaged his credibility as a leader.credibility of There are serious questions about the credibility of these reports.gain/lose credibility Predictions of economic recovery have now lost all credibility.2credibility gap the difference between what someone says and what they do: a credibility gap between the government’s promises and their achievementsCOLLOCATIONSverbshave some/no/little credibility· By then the president had ceased to have any credibility.give somebody/something credibility· There's enough evidence to give credibility to this theory.undermine/damage credibility· A number of factors undermine the credibility of these statistics.destroy credibility· The scandal nearly destroyed the FBI's credibility.establish your credibility· Dave had already established his credibility with the department managers.lend credibility to somebody/something (=make something or someone have more credibility)· The evidence lent credibility to their arguments.gain credibility· It took many years for these ideas to gain credibility in the science community.lose credibility· Both of our major political parties are losing credibility.lack/be lacking in credibility· The new regime lacked credibility from the start.restore credibility (=get it back again after it has been damaged)· His priority was to restore credibility to his government.adjectivespolitical/scientific/academic etc credibility· A school's academic credibility often depends on its exam results.low credibility (=little credibility)· The organization has had low credibility among teachers.great credibility (=a lot of credibility)· He has great credibility in Washington.phrasesa blow to somebody/something's credibility (=something that damages credibility)· The case was a severe blow to the administration's credibility.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- The scandal has ruined his credibility as a leader.
- Being infected should not add to her credibility, while not being so should not disqualify her from comment, she says.
- If a government minister dissents then he's out, for the sake of the government's credibility.
- If they do, juries should be told of the circumstances in order to assess the credibility of a witness.
- In each case, performance inevitably improves, with each small improvement restoring a measure of organizational credibility and self-respect.
- News of the freebie started a credibility slide of avalanche proportions.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs The humor in the movie sometimes goes beyond the bounds of good taste. The constant criticism was beginning to undermine her confidence.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· By then the president had ceased to have any credibility.
· There's enough evidence to give credibility to this theory.
· A number of factors undermine the credibility of these statistics.
· The scandal nearly destroyed the FBI's credibility.
· Dave had already established his credibility with the department managers.
(=make something or someone have more credibility)· The evidence lent credibility to their arguments.
· It took many years for these ideas to gain credibility in the science community.
· Both of our major political parties are losing credibility.
· The new regime lacked credibility from the start.
(=get it back again after it has been damaged)· His priority was to restore credibility to his government.
adjectives· A school's academic credibility often depends on its exam results.
(=little credibility)· The organization has had low credibility among teachers.
(=a lot of credibility)· He has great credibility in Washington.
phrases (=something that damages credibility)· The case was a severe blow to the administration's credibility.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES The humor in the movie sometimes goes beyond the bounds of good taste. (=start to be believed or trusted, or start to be thought of as good)· Screen actors feel that they gain credibility when they perform on stage.
The constant criticism was beginning to undermine her confidence.· Being part of the partnership therefore gives the teacher placement organiser greater credibility.· Furthermore, the value of editorial can not be quantified against equivalent advertising cost because of the greater credibility of editorial.· The Red Cross has a great deal of credibility with employees.
NOUN· Inaccurate though this perception may be, it creates a credibility gap which Peavey must yet cross.· A poor attendance record leads to a credibility gap with superiors. 2.· Why Clinton administration officials have opened such a yawning credibility gap is hard to say.
· Even some analysts who have serious reservations about enlargement cite a potential credibility problem if the initiative is halted.
VERB· He even told Eleanor her age and name to add credibility.· They can add their credibility when I have to go back and talk to the client.· Being infected should not add to her credibility, while not being so should not disqualify her from comment, she says.· The purpose of the audit is to add credibility to financial statements for the immediate benefit of the shareholders.
· This can be reassuring to an audience and help to build credibility.· Only a handful seemed to appreciate the advantages in actively building trust, credibility, and cooperative relationships with peers.· The conference on Using effective communications to build environmental credibility will take place in London on 24-25 March 1992.· And Moore, although mannered, builds just enough credibility to click in her role.· In doing this, public relations creates confidence in a company's management and its products, which builds credibility.· The managers were surprised to find out how difficult it was to build credibility and trust.· One problem faced by inspectors/advisers is building their authority and credibility within schools.· It takes time and work to build credibility.
· At the same time, two financial scandals have damaged the government's credibility.· But that would damage the credibility of the government further and certainly affect the financial markets, analysts said.
· Has this neglect of basic business principles destroyed the credibility of all online business ventures?· Yet the dissents accumulated weight and evidence until they threatened to destroy the credibility of science altogether.· Failure to address these issues will destroy its credibility among financial intermediaries.· Or, if that failed, to destroy my credibility.
· If an applicant has a good explanation for his claim it may, far from harming him, enhance his credibility.· Keep it going. Enhance its credibility.· In order to enhance his credibility Fedora was allowed to expose John Vassall who by then had outlived his usefulness.· Other top executives may be less interested in financial incentives than in burnishing their reputations or enhancing their credibility.· We believe this enhances credibility and reinforces reader trust.
· The community broadcasters are in a stronger position than ever before to establish credibility at a nationwide level.· Because Dave had already established his credibility with the department managers, they were willing to take him at his word.· In these and other areas of international banking Saitama Bank has established its capability and credibility worldwide.· They realized that they had to establish credibility and trust with their subordinates before they could influence them.
· Backed by a combination of sticks and carrots, the advice often gains credibility only because it is taken.· The theory gained credibility when Lewis was elevated in October 1993 to president, a post formerly held by McColl.· The theories which have been advanced so far have not been adequately tested in empirical research soas to gain credibility.· Last year was clearly about gaining credibility again, saying we were going to cut costs and then doing it.· The World Yachting Grand Prix has now gained credibility by attracting renowned and respected sailors.
· In summary, there are well established, simple procedures for giving judgments credibility.· In addition, it gives credibility to your message while underscoring your point.· It was this spending regime, combined with independent interest rate decisions, that gave Brown credibility.· It gives me credibility with the reps.· These technological successes gave credibility to Khruschev's claims that Communist states could eventually overtake capitalist economic growth.· This was Antonio Lozano Gracias, whose appointment as attorney general Zedillo hoped would give the assassination investigations credibility.· I will quote some specific figures that give credibility to amendment No. 7.· While any analytic appraisal or reflexivity on this rationale is never given much credibility in the structures of significance.
· This can be reassuring to an audience and help to build credibility.
· However, the measures proposed are not costed, and its policy document lacks credibility.· Subordinates supplied many anecdotes describing how difficult their jobs be-came if their managers lacked credibility and contacts.· Only on the question of how assessment results should be presented in the light of socio-economic circumstances did the report lack credibility.· Located in prominent positions, and as official monuments lacking avant-garde credibility, they have little artistic currency.
· Jim slipped on his overcoat and grabbed his briefcase as well as his large portfolio case to lend credibility to his story.
· Economic statistics are losing their credibility and capacity to depress.· With whom is Washington going to lose credibility?· Otherwise they risk losing the credibility needed to educate others.· As a result of their reputations they lose all professional credibility.· Don't plan twenty similar letters on one subject; your people lose credibility again.· She knew she stood a good chance of losing credibility, and perhaps even her job.· There are moves to reintroduce public service broadcasting which lost all credibility under Pinochet's dictatorship.· The firm lost credibility with its most important potential customers.
· Mr Cartellieri's priority was to restore credibility.· And Probert's crew's efforts in making it such a close, intriguing race helped to restore its credibility.· If the government is to restore its credibility, it must seek chiefly to inform, not to reassure by whatever means.· I think Tomlinson will do a good job and restore credibility as chief inspector.· The best defensive weapon is usually interest rates - backed up by whatever policy changes are needed to restore credibility.
· In that way, the Association can retain credibility as a representative body.· Similarly, a respectable suburban life may well be suppressed by an individual who wants to retain credibility amongst the gang.
· This rather undermines his credibility as a detached observer.· This kind of cop-out is also likely to undermine the parents' credibility and the trust put in them.· Charity knew that to protest any more would only undermine her credibility.· The practices of the press were to further undermine its credibility.· I accept that political activity in this country could undermine credibility, but it might just confirm credibility.· The Bible's miracles, so far from supporting its claim to supernatural authority, served rather to undermine its credibility.· Craig seems to have been determined to undermine the association's credibility and to brand its members as troublemakers.· Hume believed that four factors undermine the credibility of reports of miracles.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
- A poor attendance record leads to a credibility gap with superiors. 2.
- Inaccurate though this perception may be, it creates a credibility gap which Peavey must yet cross.
- Why Clinton administration officials have opened such a yawning credibility gap is hard to say.
WORD FAMILYadjectiveincrediblecredibleincredulousadverbincrediblycrediblyincredulouslynouncredibilityincredulity
1the quality of deserving to be believed and trusteddamage/undermine somebody’s credibility (as something) The scandal has damaged his credibility as a leader.credibility of There are serious questions about the credibility of these reports.gain/lose credibility Predictions of economic recovery have now lost all credibility.2credibility gap the difference between what someone says and what they do: a credibility gap between the government’s promises and their achievementsCOLLOCATIONSverbshave some/no/little credibility· By then the president had ceased to have any credibility.give somebody/something credibility· There's enough evidence to give credibility to this theory.undermine/damage credibility· A number of factors undermine the credibility of these statistics.destroy credibility· The scandal nearly destroyed the FBI's credibility.establish your credibility· Dave had already established his credibility with the department managers.lend credibility to somebody/something (=make something or someone have more credibility)· The evidence lent credibility to their arguments.gain credibility· It took many years for these ideas to gain credibility in the science community.lose credibility· Both of our major political parties are losing credibility.lack/be lacking in credibility· The new regime lacked credibility from the start.restore credibility (=get it back again after it has been damaged)· His priority was to restore credibility to his government.adjectivespolitical/scientific/academic etc credibility· A school's academic credibility often depends on its exam results.low credibility (=little credibility)· The organization has had low credibility among teachers.great credibility (=a lot of credibility)· He has great credibility in Washington.phrasesa blow to somebody/something's credibility (=something that damages credibility)· The case was a severe blow to the administration's credibility.