credible
Americanadjective
-
capable of being believed; believable.
a credible statement.
- Synonyms:
- tenable, reasonable, likely, plausible
-
worthy of belief or confidence; trustworthy.
a credible witness.
adjective
-
capable of being believed
-
trustworthy or reliable
the latest claim is the only one to involve a credible witness
Other Word Forms
- credibility noun
- credibleness noun
- credibly adverb
- noncredible adjective
- noncredibleness noun
- noncredibly adverb
Etymology
Origin of credible
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin crēdibilis, from crēd(ere) “to believe, confide, entrust” + -ibilis -ible
Compare meaning
How does credible compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The more credible and lasting impact is ongoing cost inflation from the rise in diesel pricing, even in a de-escalation scenario,” says Jefferies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Millar told BBC Wales that voters had to back his party if they wanted "real, credible change, positive change".
From BBC • Mar. 26, 2026
Some social-media posts seem credible, and others do not.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
Yet Mr. Corinth and Ms. Mayhew did find that the larger and more credible studies—such as the one Mr. Altman backed—showed that unearned income has a negative impact on a person’s willingness to work.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026
John Houseman later remarked: “I guess they figured if Orson could make the War of the Worlds credible and the Martians credible, he could make Campbell’s Chicken Soup credible.”
From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
