credible

/ˈkrɛdəbəl/

/ˈkrɛdɪbəl/

Someone who's credible is honest and believable. A pathological liar, for example, might not be the most credible witness for your case against the bank robber.

Similar to words like reliable and plausible, credible is an adjective that comes to us from the Latin credibilis, meaning “worthy to be believed.” A credible reputation is often earned through consistent good behavior and an overall trustworthy personality. Spill a secret you promised to keep, or lie under oath in a courtroom, and you lose all credibility.

Definitions of credible

1. adjective

   capable of being believed
   “completely credible testimony”

   “credible information”

   synonyms: believable

   likely

   within the realm of credibility

   presumptive

   affording reasonable grounds for belief or acceptance

   plausible

   apparently reasonable, valid, or truthful

   thinkable

   capable of being conceived or imagined or considered

   antonyms:

   incredible

   beyond belief or understanding

   flimsy, unconvincing

   not convincing

   astounding, dumbfounding, dumfounding

   bewildering or striking dumb with wonder

   fabulous

   barely credible

   improbable, marvellous, marvelous, tall

   too improbable to admit of belief

   undreamed, undreamed of, undreamt, undreamt of, unimagined

   not imagined even in a dream

   incredulous

   not disposed or willing to believe; unbelieving

   implausible

   having a quality that provokes disbelief

   unthinkable

   incapable of being conceived or considered
2. adjective

   appearing to merit belief or acceptance
   “a credible witness”

   synonyms:

   convincing

   causing one to believe the truth of something
3. adjective

   (a common but incorrect usage where `credulous' would be appropriate) credulous
   “she was not the...credible fool he expected”

   synonyms:

   credulous

   disposed to believe on little evidence