plausible

[plaw-zuh-buhl]

adjective

1. having an appearance of truth or reason; seemingly worthy of approval or acceptance; credible; believable.

   a plausible excuse; a plausible plot.

   Antonyms: sincere, honest

2. well-spoken and apparently, but often deceptively, worthy of confidence or trust.

   a plausible commentator.

plausible

/ ˈplɔːzəbəl /

adjective

1. apparently reasonable, valid, truthful, etc

   a plausible excuse

2. apparently trustworthy or believable

   a plausible speaker

Other Word Forms

• plausibly adverb
• plausibility noun
• plausibleness noun
• nonplausibility noun
• nonplausible adjective
• nonplausibleness noun
• nonplausibly adverb
• overplausible adjective
• overplausibleness noun
• overplausibly adverb
• superplausible adjective
• superplausibleness noun
• superplausibly adverb
• unplausible adjective
• unplausibleness noun
• unplausibly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of plausible¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of plausible¹

C16: from Latin plausibilis worthy of applause, from plaudere to _applaud

Synonym Study

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).

Example Sentences

The first minister said there was plausible evidence that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza - an accusation the Israeli government rejects.

From BBC

Sometimes that reason strikes most people as plausible, as in the wake of a hurricane, an earthquake or a major wildfire.

From Salon

“The ‘clanker’ meme is really weird and feels like an excuse for white people to almost say slurs with plausible deniability,” one user wrote.

From Salon

Once again, the case illustrates how difficult it is to distinguish between plausible and implausible claims.

From BBC

Bondi fully understands that getting a grand jury to indict Obama means providing something resembling plausible evidence, which she simply does not have.

From Salon

Related Words

• conceivable 
• credible 
• logical 
• persuasive 
• possible 
• probable 
• tenable 
• valid