credibility
Americannoun
-
credibilities
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
“Now we’re losing a lot of that credibility — and that’s dangerous.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026
Bartiromo spent more than two decades at CNBC, and when she moved to Fox in 2014 she brought that credibility with her.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
Hartnett notes that central banks are tightening as they try to restore credibility and ward off the surge in bond yields.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
The astute, low-key nature of their performances enhances the tale’s creepy credibility.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
Ralph staked his credibility on Molly’s behavior; he worked hard to persuade Dina that a sweet kid was hiding under that fierce hair and makeup.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
So when bargaining with the sharks consider both the static and the dynamic game, and the value of their relative credibilities to them.
From Forbes ● Nov. 15, 2014
No matter who is winning whatever conflict is now going on on the Mongolian-Manchukuoan border, the credibilities of the world's newspaper readers are taking a terrific beating.
From Time Magazine Archive
Sallust would no doubt have put anything into Catiline's mouth which would suit his own purpose; but it was necessary for his purpose that he should confine himself to credibilities.
From The Life of Cicero Volume One by Anthony Trollope
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.
