plausible
American
adjective
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apparently reasonable, valid, truthful, etc
a plausible excuse
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apparently trustworthy or believable
a plausible speaker
Synonym Usage
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
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nonplausibilitynoun
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nonplausiblenessnoun
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overplausiblenessnoun
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plausibilitynoun
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plausiblenessnoun
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superplausiblenessnoun
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unplausiblenessnoun
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nonplausibleadjective
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overplausibleadjective
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superplausibleadjective
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unplausibleadjective
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nonplausiblyadverb
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overplausiblyadverb
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plausiblyadverb
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superplausiblyadverb
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unplausiblyadverb
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; see origin at applaud, -ible
Compare meaning
How does plausible compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If something is plausible, it's reasonable or believable. Things that are plausible could easily happen. A child learning to ride a bike is plausible. A giraffe doing it is not. Plausible things are not far-fetched at all. Things in fantasy stories — such as wizards, dragons, and unicorns — are not plausible. On the other hand, some things in science fiction stories might be plausible: who knows where spaceships will eventually go? If something really seems like it could happen, then it's plausible. One of the many tricky parts of life is figuring out what's plausible and what's not.
Vocabulary lists containing plausible
Jim Burke's Academic Vocabulary List
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Grade 9, List 6
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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.
“It’s totally plausible that the hedging behavior associated with this activity is one of the factors that is suppressing intraday moves,” said Garrett DeSimone, head of quantitative research at OptionMetrics, during a conversation with MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026
This and other chemicals, such as BDNF, associated with exercise, provide plausible biological pathways for how physical activity might directly influence brain health beyond its cardiovascular benefits.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
Learn about whale biology: If you’ve seen or heard of the movie Whalefall, in which a scuba diver is swallowed by a whale, you have probably wondered whether the premise is at all plausible.
From Slate ● Oct. 19, 2026
Only when older people didn’t do something at the same age and don’t do so now does birth year become plausible.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
“Lord Cardan told us to be more observant,” I say, hoping that the plausible confusion of an ambiguous command will help to explain the way she’s acting.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
