credibility
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of credibility
First recorded in 1570–80; from Late Latin crēdibilitās, equivalent to Latin crēdibili(s) credible ( def. ) + -tās -ty 2 ( def. )
Explanation
You have credibility when you seem totally trustworthy or believable. You lose it when you start lying, cheating and acting rather shady. Credibility is a noun that speaks to plausibility or believableness, so the star witness at your trial or the person writing your recommendation letter should certainly have it. Be careful though, because someone with credibility isn't necessarily telling the truth. As any con man or politician can tell you, credibility can easily come from nothing more than a confident smile.
Vocabulary lists containing credibility
Argumentative Writing
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Believe It or Not: Cred
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Argumentative Writing, List 1
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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.
See Examples For:
In cases involving deadly force, the credibility of official accounts depends on evidence: video footage, forensic analysis, witness testimony and independent review.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Yet as the movement loses territory in Myanmar, it loses credibility abroad.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Tebas said that the Balogun decision was the "tip of the iceberg" following a series of events which had been "eroding the credibility of Fifa and football in general for many years".
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
But “uninformative minutes” could lead to issues of credibility, he added.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Perhaps a final reason to accept the credibility of Jefferson’s version of the story, then, is that he was not boasting about his political influence, but confessing his profound regret.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
So when bargaining with the sharks consider both the static and the dynamic game, and the value of their relative credibilities to them.
From Forbes ● Nov. 15, 2014
No matter who is winning whatever conflict is now going on on the Mongolian-Manchukuoan border, the credibilities of the world's newspaper readers are taking a terrific beating.
From Time Magazine Archive
Sallust would no doubt have put anything into Catiline's mouth which would suit his own purpose; but it was necessary for his purpose that he should confine himself to credibilities.
From The Life of Cicero Volume One by Trollope, Anthony
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.
