plausible

adjective plau·si·ble \ ˈplȯ-zə-bəl \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of plausible

1 : superficially fair, reasonable, or valuable but often specious

a plausible pretext

2 : superficially pleasing or persuasive

a swindler … , then a quack, then a smooth, plausible gentleman
—R. W. Emerson

3 : appearing worthy of belief

the argument was both powerful and plausible

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plausibleness

noun

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plausibly

play \ˈplȯ-zə-blē\ adverb

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Examples of plausible in a Sentence

I watch the ospreys who nest on Perch Island high atop their white spruce. Our sense of a plausible summer depends much on their diligent success at nest-building and procreation, and on their chicks fledging in late August. —Richard Ford, Wall Street Journal, 14-15 June 2008
… I'd mastered the quick size-up. Does the person seem agreeable over coffee at the drugstore counter and picking up his mail at the post office, drive a plausible vehicle, and know the weather forecast? —Edward Hoagland, Harper's, June 2007
Now, two NASA scientists, both also astronauts, suggest a simpler, safer, and much more plausible way of diverting an offending asteroid. Their method relies on the gravitational tug of a massive, unmanned spacecraft to pull the rock away from a damaging rendezvous with Earth. —R. Cowen, Science News, 12 Nov. 2005
… string theorists can exhibit plausible models of a unified Universe, but unfortunately they cannot explain why we inhabit a particular one. —Michael Atiyah, Nature, 22-29 Dec. 2005
it's a plausible explanation for the demise of that prehistoric species

Recent Examples of plausible from the Web

Britain’s allies, convinced that Russia is the only plausible suspect, have expelled 160 Russian spies and diplomats.

— The Economist, "Conspiracy theories from, and about, Russia," 14 Apr. 2018
The only plausible way that could happen would be if the microbes were subsisting on the petrogenic carbon, which would have shed its radioactive signature long ago, thanks to its subsurface journey.

— paul voosen, Science | AAAS, "Eroding mountains could release, not trap, greenhouse gases," 12 Apr. 2018
And while magically developing a reliable jumper seems like a long shot, dominating with everything else is looking increasingly plausible.

— andrew sharp, SI.com, "Ben Simmons Is Rookie of the Year, But Where Will He Go From Here?," 11 Apr. 2018
Last week, Federal District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson ruled in Washington that a plausible case existed that the Emirates hacked the email accounts of Farhad Azima, an international businessman, for information to assault his character.

— gardiner harris and mark landler, New York Times, "Qatar Charm Offensive Appears to Have Paid Off, U.S. Officials Say," 9 Apr. 2018
In this environment, radical proposals suddenly become plausible.

— franklin foer, The Atlantic, "Silicon Valley Falls to Earth," 9 Apr. 2018
Her redemption is strictly within plausible boundaries for a girl who's been a monster pretty much her entire life.

— david rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Mean Girls': Theater Review," 9 Apr. 2018
The show has been given a minimal, plausible update, not so much a reboot as a dusting-off.

— tom gliatto, PEOPLE.com, "Roseanne Review: ABC's Reboot Has Shrewdly Recognized the Political Moment," 27 Mar. 2018
So while a reunion tour seems less and less likely with each passing year, a reunion of another sort is definitely looking plausible in the near future.

— raisa bruner, Time, "Everything We Know About the Spice Girls Reunion So Far," 26 Mar. 2018

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

You Can Believe This History of plausible

Today the word plausible usually means "reasonable" or "believable," but it once held the meanings "worthy of being applauded" and "approving." It comes to us from the Latin adjective plausibilis ("worthy of applause"), which in turn derives from the verb plaudere, meaning "to applaud or clap." Other "plaudere" descendants in English include "applaud," "plaudit" (the earliest meaning of which was "a round of applause"), and "explode" (from Latin explodere, meaning "to drive off the stage by clapping).