plausible
Americanadjective
-
apparently reasonable, valid, truthful, etc
a plausible excuse
-
apparently trustworthy or believable
a plausible speaker
Related Words
Plausible, specious describe that which has the appearance of truth but might be deceptive. The person or thing that is plausible strikes the superficial judgment favorably; it may or may not be true: a plausible argument (one that cannot be verified or believed in entirely). Specious definitely implies deceit or falsehood; the surface appearances are quite different from what is beneath: a specious pretense of honesty; a specious argument (one deliberately deceptive, probably for selfish or evil purposes).
Other Word Forms
- nonplausibility noun
- nonplausible adjective
- nonplausibleness noun
- nonplausibly adverb
- overplausible adjective
- overplausibleness noun
- overplausibly adverb
- plausibility noun
- plausibleness noun
- plausibly adverb
- superplausible adjective
- superplausibleness noun
- superplausibly adverb
- unplausible adjective
- unplausibleness noun
- unplausibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of plausible
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin plausibilis “deserving applause,” equivalent to plaus(us) (past participle of plaudere “to applaud” + -ibilis adjective suffix; applaud, -ible
Compare meaning
How does plausible compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Price said that there was "no plausible explanation" for how Quinn's DNA had been recovered at the scene other than if he was the attacker.
From BBC
Oxford Economics predicted that Iran would struggle to keep the Strait of Hormuz quiet for long, but that a period of "lower-level disruption to trade flows" was more plausible.
From Barron's
Barclays, RBC Capital Markets and Bloomberg New Energy Finance analysts also see that as a plausible outcome if the Strait remains blocked.
From Barron's
Barclays, RBC Capital Markets and Bloomberg New Energy Finance analysts also see that as a plausible outcome if the Strait remains blocked.
From Barron's
"If Iran withdraws its team - an outcome that seems entirely plausible - Fifa is likely to breathe a sigh of relief given the scope for protest and unrest."
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
