credible
/ˈkrɛdɪb(ə)l
/adjective
1Able to be believed; convincing: few people found his story credible a credible witness...
- That is surprising given the fact that he is the only person who is able to give any credible evidence.
- There are lots of other situations in life when it is vital to be able to make credible promises.
- As I did not find him to be a credible witness, I am unable to attach much weight to the contents.
Synonyms
acceptable, trustworthy, reliable, dependable, sure, good, valid;
feasible, viable, tenable, sustainable, maintainable
1.1Capable of persuading people that something will happen or be successful: a credible threat...
- Missing, still, is a credible political strategy for persuading the people.
- And when we have evidence of credible threats, we will issue appropriate alerts.
- That is a bigger threat to us all, in the long run, than any credible terrorist threat on the horizon.
Synonyms
believable, plausible, able to hold water, within the bounds of possibility, reasonable, sound, compelling, persuasive
rare suasive, assuasive, verisimilar, colourable, cogitable
Usage
Confusion often arises between the words credible and creditable. Credible chiefly means ‘able to be believed; convincing’ (few people found his story credible), while creditable means ‘deserving acknowledgement and praise but not necessarily outstanding’ (a very creditable 2-4 defeat).
Origin
Late Middle English: from Latin credibilis, from credere 'believe'.