credibility gap

noun

1

a

: lack of trust

a credibility gap between generations

b

: lack of believability

… a credibility gap created by contradictory official statements …

—Samuel Ellenport

2

: discrepancy

… the credibility gap between the professed ideals … and their actual practices …

—Jeanne L. Noble

Examples of credibility gap in a Sentence

There is a credibility gap between what the mayor says and what the people see happening in the city.

The fact that the new estimates are so wildly different from the initial numbers has created a credibility gap.

Recent Examples on the Web

Data shows an emerging credibility gap in which leaders are mandating and hyping AI but are often only casual users of the technology themselves—sometimes using it less than their rank-and-file employees. —Claire Zillman, Fortune, 24 Mar. 2026

But if Willis is so-so or worse, there’s a huge credibility gap for this new Dolphins management moving forward. —Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 11 Mar. 2026

For investors, this shift matters because credibility gaps don’t remain rhetorical. —Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026

Textile Exchange’s latest guide was designed to help address this credibility gap—and effectively elevate the work of those already invested and committed to regenerative outcomes. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 2 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Rhymes for credibility gap

• app
• cap
• chap
• clap
• crap
• flap
• frap
• hap
• lap
• nap
• nappe
• pap