credible
/'kredəbl/
Definition
- Adjective:
- Appearing to merit belief or acceptance: Describes something or someone that seems believable, trustworthy, or convincing.
- Capable of being believed: Describes information, testimony, or a source that can reasonably be accepted as true.
Usage
- Use "credible" to describe sources of information (e.g., news, studies, witnesses) that are reliable and trustworthy.
- Use "credible" to describe plans, threats, or explanations that are convincing and plausible.
- Important Distinction: Do not confuse "credible" (believable) with "credulous" (too ready to believe, gullible). A person or source is ; a person who believes things too easily is .
Examples
- Describing a source:
- The journalist cited several credible sources in her report.
- We need a credible witness to support this claim.
- Describing information or a claim:
- The scientist presented credible evidence for her theory.
- His explanation for being late was not credible.
- Describing a possibility:
- A credible threat was made against the embassy.
Advanced Usage
- "Credible interval": In statistics, a range of values that is likely to contain an unknown parameter with a certain probability.
- The poll's results were reported with a 95% credible interval.
- "Credible commitment": In economics and political science, a promise or policy that is believable because the issuer has an incentive to keep it.
- The government's credible commitment to low inflation stabilized the markets.
Variants and Related Words
- Credibility (n): The quality of being trusted and believed in.
- The scandal damaged the politician's credibility.
- Incredible (adj): 1. So extraordinary as to seem impossible; unbelievable. 2. (Informal) Amazing, marvelous.
- The athlete's strength was incredible. (Meaning 1)
- We had an incredible vacation. (Meaning 2)
- Credibly (adv): In a believable or convincing manner.
- She argued her case credibly.
Synonyms
- Believable: Able to be believed; convincing.
- Plausible: Seeming reasonable or probable.
- Convincing: Capable of causing someone to believe that something is true or real.
- Trustworthy: Able to be relied on as honest or truthful.
Antonyms
- Incredible: (Formal sense) Not believable.
- Implausible: Not seeming reasonable or probable; failing to convince.
- Unreliable: Not able to be trusted or depended on.
Common Errors and Clarifications
- Error: Using "credible" to mean "gullible" or "too ready to believe."
- Incorrect: He is so credible; he believes every rumor he hears. (Here, "credulous" is the correct word.)
- Correct: He is so credulous; he believes every rumor he hears.
- Correct: She is a credible expert; her research is always thorough.
Adjective
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appearing to merit belief or acceptance
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a credible witness
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(a common but incorrect usage where `credulous' would be appropriate) credulous
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she was not the...credible fool he expected
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capable of being believed
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completely credible testimony
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credible information
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