plausible
Americanadjective
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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.
Separately, the emails your brother and/or her lawyer sent you could give them plausible deniability.
From MarketWatch
There are three plausible messages from the rise in gold prices.
Policy, he said, is “within a range of plausible estimates of neutral,” and well positioned to respond as the data evolve.
From Barron's
April is the earliest plausible timing for the BOJ to raise rates but it may wait until June or July, she adds.
U.S. involvement is entirely plausible, Brown Brothers Harriman said in a note, adding that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had voiced concerns about the sell-off in Japanese government bonds and its spillover into the U.S.
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.
