credible

adjective

cred·​i·​ble ˈkre-də-bəl How to pronounce credible (audio)
1
: offering reasonable grounds for being believed or trusted
credible evidence
a credible source
credible witnesses
gave a credible account of the accident
… said the threats were not deemed credible.Stephen Wall
2
: good enough to be effective
a credible job
… does a credible imitation of a ballet student's exercises, as well as a flapper's Charleston.Dany Margolies
often, specifically : of sufficient capability to be militarily effective
a credible deterrent
credible forces
credibly adverb

Did you know?

Credible evidence is evidence that's likely to be believed. A credible plan is one that might actually work, and a credible excuse is one your parents might actually believe. And just as credible means "believable", the noun credibility means "believability". (But we no longer use incredible to mean the literal opposite of credible, just as we no longer use unbelievable as the literal opposite of believable.) Since cred is short for credibility, "street cred" is the kind of credibility among tough young people that you can only get by proving yourself on the mean streets of the inner city.

Examples of credible in a Sentence

We've received credible information about the group's location. She does a credible job of playing the famous singer.
Recent Examples on the Web Apple, which says the EU has failed to provide credible evidence of consumer harm, has pledged to appeal. Morgan Meaker, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 The Israeli public must be presented with a stark choice: a detailed regional plan with credible American guarantees or Netanyahu’s defiant isolation; Gantz and Eisenkot would thus gain cover for diplomatic realism beyond simple military deterrence. Bernard Avishai, The New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2024 Khan Denies Murder Allegations Khan expressed his frustration at being labeled as a murderer without credible evidence. Zenger News, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 But independent researchers say few companies have shown credible plans to achieve their targets. Michael Copley, NPR, 29 Feb. 2024 To be clear, credible news organizations would not behave in such a manner. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 29 Feb. 2024 The Biden administration has said Israel should not launch any assault on Rafah without a credible plan to ensure the safety of the people sheltering there, including thousands of children. Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2024 But Russia does not have such a credible path either. Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs, 23 Feb. 2024 Barahona-Martínez won asylum twice while detained after an immigration judge found her testimonies consistent and credible in 2018 and 2019. Nicole Acevedo, NBC News, 22 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin credibilis, from credere — see credence

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near credible

Cite this Entry

“Credible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credible. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

credible

adjective
cred·​i·​ble ˈkred-ə-bəl How to pronounce credible (audio)
: offering reasonable grounds for being believed
a credible story
credibly adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on credible

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