credibility gap

noun

1. a lack of popular confidence in the truth of the claims or public statements made by the federal government, large corporations, politicians, etc.:

   a credibility gap between the public and the power company.

2. a perceived discrepancy between statements and actual performance or behavior.

credibility gap

noun

1. a disparity between claims or statements made and the evident facts of the situation or circumstances to which they relate

Word History and Origins

Origin of credibility gap¹

An Americanism dating back to 1965–70

Idioms and Phrases

Distrust of a public statement or position, as in The current credibility gap at City Hall is the result of miscommunication between the mayor's office and the press . This term originated about 1960 in connection with the American public's disinclination to believe government statements about the Vietnam War. It soon was extended to individuals and corporations as well as government agencies to express a lack of confidence in the truth of their statements, or perception of a discrepancy between words and actions.

Example Sentences

You’ll probably hear them point to a few unsurprising culprits behind the credibility gap which, to be certain, do have a heavy hand in it: intentional political disinformation campaigns and infodemics, predominantly Republican anti-science stump speeches, private companies angling to profit off the fearful and uninformed and sensationalized headlines that get the story wrong.

From Salon

There is a "credibility gap" between what politicians say and what they do which has got worse since Covid, according to Helen Bairstow who runs Wooden Spoon Bakery.

From BBC

South Korean officials also view their trilateral efforts with the United States and Japan to respond to the North’s threat, such as drills and increased communication, as another way to overcome the credibility gap.

From Washington Post

Loose and easy language about equality, resonant resolutions about brotherhood fall pleasantly on the ear, but for the Negro there is a credibility gap he cannot overlook.

From Salon

“There’s a pain gap, but there’s also a credibility gap,” said Hossain, author of “The Pain Gap: How Sexism and Racism in Healthcare Kill Women.”

From Washington Post