credibility

American  

[kred-uh-bil-i-tee] / ˌkrɛd əˈbɪl ɪ ti /

Sometimes credibleness

noun

1. the quality of being believable or worthy of trust.

   After all those lies, his credibility was at a low ebb.

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credibility British  

/ ˌkrɛdɪˈbɪlɪtɪ /

noun

1. the quality of being believed or trusted

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Other Word Forms

• noncredibility noun

Etymology

Origin of credibility

First recorded in 1570–80; from Late Latin crēdibilitās, equivalent to Latin crēdibili(s) credible ( def. ) + -tās -ty ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Not a deal-breaker in the civil courts, but the judge will have to consider whether it damages the credibility of their evidence.

From BBC

“So you start with that, which undermines a person’s credibility.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“The costs of losing that credibility are high,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Getting there requires at least a brief stint as a front-line security officer to build credibility as a leader.

From The Wall Street Journal

It helps secure commitment, allocate authority, and sustain credibility when value creation depends on long-horizon strategies that cannot be fully specified in advance.

From Barron's

Related Words

• chance
• integrity
• prospect
• reliability
• soundness
• trustworthiness
• validity