adjective

credible

/ˈkrɛdɪbəl/ · say it: KRED·uh·bul

able to be believed; convincing

In Debate & Persuasion

In more detail

1. (adjective) able to be believed or trusted; seeming true or reliable

2. (adjective) having qualities that make someone seem honest or trustworthy

Examples

1. The witness gave a credible account of what happened.
2. She is a credible expert in climate science.

How to use credible

Credible describes something or someone that can reasonably be believed or trusted based on available evidence or past behaviour. It is commonly used in legal, journalistic, and academic contexts to evaluate claims, sources, or testimony. Unlike plausible (which merely seems reasonable), credible implies actual trustworthiness or reliability.

Common phrases

credible evidence
credible witness
credible threat
credible source
highly credible

Synonyms

believable · plausible · trustworthy · reliable · convincing

Opposites

incredible · implausible · untrustworthy

Word family

credibility (noun) · credibly (adverb) · credit (noun/verb) · discredit (verb)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes confuse credible with credulous (meaning too willing to believe), which has the opposite meaning.

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