1
Believable claim
Supported enough to merit acceptance.
Example
The documents provide a credible account of the journey.
credible
/ˈkredəbəl/ · KRED-uh-buhladjective
Believable and worthy of trust.
Use credible for a claim, source, threat, or explanation supported well enough to deserve belief.
What credible Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Trustworthy source
Possessing relevant reliability or expertise.
Example
Researchers sought a credible independent witness.
3
Plausible possibility
Serious enough to be considered real.
Example
The storm poses a credible threat to coastal roads.
Use credible Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The documents provide a credible account of the journey.
Researchers sought a credible independent witness.
The storm poses a credible threat to coastal roads.
Precision Matters
Credible overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
credible
vs.Describes information worthy of belief.
credulous
Describes a person too ready to believe.
credible
vs.Deserves trust based on support.
plausible
Seems reasonably possible.
credible
vs.Is the quality produced by evidence.
substantiate
Is the act of supplying evidence.
credible
vs.Is worthy of belief.
spurious
Only appears valid—the contrast.
Test credible in Context
Multiple sources make the account worthy of belief.
1
Because the account matches dated photographs and independent records, historians regard it as a ___ description of the event.