credibility
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of credibility
First recorded in 1570–80; from Late Latin crēdibilitās, equivalent to Latin crēdibili(s) credible ( def. ) + -tās -ty 2 ( def. )
Explanation
You have credibility when you seem totally trustworthy or believable. You lose it when you start lying, cheating and acting rather shady. Credibility is a noun that speaks to plausibility or believableness, so the star witness at your trial or the person writing your recommendation letter should certainly have it. Be careful though, because someone with credibility isn't necessarily telling the truth. As any con man or politician can tell you, credibility can easily come from nothing more than a confident smile.
Vocabulary lists containing credibility
Argumentative Writing
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Believe It or Not: Cred
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Argumentative Writing, List 1
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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.
It interrogated the criteria of credibility themselves—what makes a teaching trustworthy, what makes a source authoritative, what distinguishes faithful transmission from motivated distortion.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
It has made the problem of religion unavoidable: the problem of belief, of credibility, of the criteria by which one extraordinary claim earns our trust while another should be resisted.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
If you go there and mention a player in the same light then you'd better have credibility and an unarguable case.
From BBC • May 23, 2026
Known for reliable logistics for electronics and higher-ticket goods, it is bringing that credibility to fast-moving consumer commerce.
From Barron's • May 23, 2026
The announcement of the new peace initiative then gave added credibility to the charge that, without Abigail, Adams had lost either his balance or his mind.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
