plausible
Americanadjective
-
apparently reasonable, valid, truthful, etc
a plausible excuse
-
apparently trustworthy or believable
a plausible speaker
Related Words
Plausible, specious describe that which has the appearance of truth but might be deceptive. The person or thing that is plausible strikes the superficial judgment favorably; it may or may not be true: a plausible argument (one that cannot be verified or believed in entirely). Specious definitely implies deceit or falsehood; the surface appearances are quite different from what is beneath: a specious pretense of honesty; a specious argument (one deliberately deceptive, probably for selfish or evil purposes).
Other Word Forms
- nonplausibility noun
- nonplausible adjective
- nonplausibleness noun
- nonplausibly adverb
- overplausible adjective
- overplausibleness noun
- overplausibly adverb
- plausibility noun
- plausibleness noun
- plausibly adverb
- superplausible adjective
- superplausibleness noun
- superplausibly adverb
- unplausible adjective
- unplausibleness noun
- unplausibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of plausible
First recorded in 1535–45; from Latin plausibilis “deserving applause,” equivalent to plaus(us) (past participle of plaudere “to applaud” + -ibilis adjective suffix; applaud, -ible
Compare meaning
How does plausible compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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 is much too soon to assert that this is likely or even plausible.
From BBC
And that left no plausible path for cutting overall federal spending.
At that time he warned that he could see a plausible scenario where the S&P 500 lost ground for the year, and that speculative stocks could be the canary in the coal mine.
From Barron's
But Citrini’s scenario is just one of a number of plausible ones, though in the current mood, the market latched on.
From Barron's
History is a useful reminder that a royal scandal is a convenient tool for an unpopular and beleaguered political class, a mistrusted army of newspaper hacks, and a disgruntled public, desperate for a plausible villain.
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.
