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
- credibility noun
- credibleness noun
- credibly adverb
- noncredible adjective
- noncredibleness noun
- noncredibly adverb
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.
For the first time in 16 years, credible polls suggest he faces a serious electoral setback this Sunday.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
While a derby defeat to Lille last weekend did see them lose ground on PSG, Lens remain the most credible challenger to the league leaders heading into this season's final straight.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
And at the partner level, there were ongoing debates about whether any of it was credible enough to rely on.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 10, 2026
The third, and most important, requires the court to decide whether the explanation is credible or instead pretextual.
From Slate • Apr. 10, 2026
An intellectually disabled black woman living in Choctaw County, Alabama, Ms. Banks was accused of killing her newborn child even though police had no credible basis for believing she had ever been pregnant.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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.
