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

• plausibility noun
• plausibleness noun
• plausibly adverb
• 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 idea that voters would have taken her and the Tories more seriously if she’d started expounding her reform agenda sooner isn’t plausible.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Of course, as with all booms, there is a plausible rationale to justify the high prices.

Read more on MarketWatch

But I find it more plausible that stocks are being led up by bets on artificial intelligence and an economy producing strong growth with little inflation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This is plausible, as biting Ukrainian winters can make it too cold for men or their supplies to stay in trenches, makeshift dwellings and storage.

Read more on BBC

"Previously there were obvious clues, for instance AI had difficulty generating realistic hands with plausible finger placement," he said after viewing the website.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

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