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
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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.
Should Abbott win re-election, the Evercore team expects the outlook for the data-center buildout in the state would become clearer, and that credible projects with local support would likely be allowed to move forward.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
In the former, a claim becomes more credible as evidence accumulates.
From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026
“The need of the hour is for credible medium-term fiscal consolidation plans,” said Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, in a speech last week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
"But it also needs to be a credible modern electric car in terms of functionality and features, with widespread appeal."
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
On the other hand, we maintain that there is no credible evidence for the Earth being visited, now or ever.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
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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.
