credible
Americanadjective
-
capable of being believed; believable.
a credible statement.
- Synonyms:
- tenable, reasonable, likely, plausible
-
worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy.
a credible witness.
adjective
-
capable of being believed
-
trustworthy or reliable
the latest claim is the only one to involve a credible witness
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of credible
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin crēdibilis, from crēd(ere) “to believe, confide, entrust” + -ibilis -ible
Compare meaning
How does credible compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Someone who's credible is honest and believable. A pathological liar, for example, might not be the most credible witness for your case against the bank robber. Similar to words like reliable and plausible, credible is an adjective that comes to us from the Latin credibilis, meaning “worthy to be believed.” A credible reputation is often earned through consistent good behavior and an overall trustworthy personality. Spill a secret you promised to keep, or lie under oath in a courtroom, and you lose all credibility.
Vocabulary lists containing credible
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Believe It or Not: Cred
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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.
Meta’s custom-chip business could also create “a credible path to lower blended cost per unit of compute,” he said.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 10, 2026
The trial’s results show that orforglipron, which was developed by Eli Lilly, can be considered one of semaglutide’s most credible challengers.
From Science Daily • Jul. 8, 2026
But she added: "Dangote is a very credible business person. And I don't think that he would be venturing down this road if there was absolutely no opportunity."
From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026
Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s undersecretary of defense for policy, rebuked Canada in May, saying that the country had “failed to make credible progress on its defense commitments.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 6, 2026
Bobby remained resolute in his views, even though almost all grandmasters and many other members of the chess fraternity insisted that his accusations had no credible foundation.
From "Endgame" by Frank Brady
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.
