credibility

noun

cred·​i·​bil·​i·​ty ˌkre-də-ˈbi-lə-tē 

1

: the quality or power of inspiring belief

an account lacking in credibility

2

: capacity for belief

Her account exceeds credibility.

Examples of credibility in a Sentence

The new evidence lends credibility to their theory.

The scandal undermined her credibility as an honest politician.

In this instance, the lawyer's job is to make the jury doubt the witness's credibility.

Recent Examples on the Web

As the extensions gained credibility in the stores, the attackers pushed a backdoor update that allowed hourly remote code execution. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Dec. 2025

Swonk also flags mounting risks to credibility inside the Fed itself. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 10 Dec. 2025

The essay moves through three parts, from an opening scene of conflict to a middle section that narrates how Didion gradually grew to distrust police, and onto a last section that reflects on the crumbling of police authority and credibility. —Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025

Many of the people featured have longstanding personal grievances, financial motives, or credibility issues that have been documented for years. —Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 8 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

see credible

First Known Use

circa 1572, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing credibility

• credibility gap
• lend weight/credence/credibility

Rhymes for credibility

• affability
• audibility
• bistability
• capability
• changeability
• contractility
• culpability
• disability
• disutility
• durability
• fallibility
• feasibility

Kids Definition

credibility

noun

cred·​i·​bil·​i·​ty ˌkred-ə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

1

: the quality or power of inspiring belief

a story without much credibility

2

: capacity for belief

an excuse beyond credibility