credibility

noun cred·i·bil·i·ty \ ˌkre-də-ˈbi-lə-tē \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of credibility

1 : the quality or power of inspiring belief

an account lacking in credibility

2 : capacity for belief

Her account exceeds credibility.

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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 of credibility from the Web

One of the key questions has long been the credibility of the victims who accused Barros of covering up Karadima's abuse.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "Pope Francis admits 'grave error,' apologizes for not believing Chile sex abuse victims," 12 Apr. 2018
The harsh tone of Mesereau's statement signaled a likely effort to attack the credibility not only of Constand, but of other women who have come forward to accuse Cosby of a similar pattern of predatory behavior.

— laura king, latimes.com, "Flying in the face of the #MeToo movement, Cosby's attorney slams accuser as 'con artist'," 10 Apr. 2018
Last month, anchors at those stations were forced to read a script attacking the credibility of the media, in line with the views of Sinclair’s conservative owners.

— alex kingsbury, BostonGlobe.com, "Should Sinclair anchors quit, rather than potentially compromise reputations?," 6 Apr. 2018
Kapler brought with him a deep analytical background combined with the clubhouse credibility of a former major league outfielder.

— usa today sports, USA TODAY, "Phillies fans boo Gabe Kapler before home opener," 5 Apr. 2018
He could not be reached for comment Thursday, but his attorney, Steven Passarello, told the Associated Press that his client maintains his innocence and questions the credibility of the witnesses against him.

— Philly.com, "Pa. prosecutor accused of corruption once a standout Philly student," 5 Apr. 2018
Does this affect belief in the overall credibility of the newscast?

— kristi turnquist, OregonLive.com, "Sinclair-KATU controversy raises the question: Will political divides invade local TV news?," 3 Apr. 2018
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke to the credibility of Mueller’s investigation and said it should be allowed to conclude without any impediments.

— tara golshan, Vox, "The constitutional debate around protecting Robert Mueller’s job, explained," 29 Mar. 2018
The virtue of such a commission is precisely the nonpartisan credibility of its objective experts, who have no political stake in the outcome.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Alan Dershowitz’s Audition to Be Trump’s Lawyer Is Not Going Well," 21 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'credibility.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.