believable

adjective

be·​liev·​able bə-ˈlē-və-bəl How to pronounce believable (audio)
: capable of being believed especially as within the range of known possibility or probability
believability noun
believably adverb

Examples of believable in a Sentence

she had a believable excuse for missing the deadline
Recent Examples on the Web The calls are believable to some because the caller, sometimes a telephone robot, knows the make and model of your vehicle. Dave Lieber, Dallas News, 11 Sep. 2023 The player who took Australia’s winning penalty against France—the scarcely believable twentieth kick—Cortnee Vine, plays for Sydney F.C. Naaman Zhou, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2023 Yet somehow that made Fez its most believable and relatable character and made everyone else in a scene with him seem more real too. Vulture, 8 Aug. 2023 The number seemed straightforward and eminently believable. Ben McKenzie, Rolling Stone, 17 July 2023 The great Peter Hickman, who won the Superbike and Senior TTs here last year, breaks the overall lap record in the second Superstock race with a scarcely believable average speed of 136.359 mph. Rennie Scaysbrook, Robb Report, 30 June 2023 So the choreography in these scenes is very believable. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2023 During her tenure, the ship logged at least 49 deaths, which makes her reputation as a haunted vessel even more believable. Andrea Romano, Travel + Leisure, 13 Aug. 2023 That’s a believable (and funny) interaction, but in that moment, the play is doing the same thing Patty is. Vulture, 31 July 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'believable.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of believable was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near believable

Cite this Entry

“Believable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/believable. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

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