Meaning & use
plausible
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Seeming reasonable or probably true when judged from the available facts.
Grammar: Use more and most; being plausible does not prove something is true.
Patterns
- a plausible explanation
- plausible evidence
- seem plausible
- plausible that
The most plausible explanation is that the email was sent to the wrong address.
It seems plausible that sales will recover after the holiday.
adjectivecomparabledisapproving
Good at making claims sound convincing, especially when the listener should remain doubtful.
Grammar: Often before nouns like excuse, story, liar, or salesman; can sound disapproving.
Patterns
- a plausible excuse
- a plausible liar
- plausible manner
The salesman sounded plausible, but the contract hid extra fees.
She gave a plausible smile and changed the subject.
Word forms
| comparative | more plausible |
|---|---|
| superlative | most plausible |
Common combinations
- plausible explanation
- Police still lack a plausible explanation for the missing keys.
- seem plausible
- His theory seems plausible until you check the dates.
- plausible excuse
- A flat tire is a plausible excuse for being late, but not twice in one week.
- perfectly plausible
- It is perfectly plausible that she forgot the charger at home.
Synonyms and how they differ
- credible
- Credible emphasizes trustworthiness of a source; plausible emphasizes that an idea sounds believable.
- convincing
- Convincing makes you believe or accept; plausible only says belief is reasonable.
- possible
- Possible means not ruled out, even if unlikely; plausible suggests likely enough to accept provisionally.
Opposites
Word family
- plausibility noun
- The quality of sounding reasonable or believable.
- plausibly adverb
- In a way that sounds reasonable.
- implausible adjective
- Not seeming reasonable or believable.
- implausibly adverb
- In a way that is hard to believe.
Commonly confused: plausible or possible?
plausible vs possible
Possible says something can happen; plausible says it sounds believable given what we know.
Practice
Her story sounded ___, but the security camera showed she had not entered the building.
Choose one answer.
Plausible means it seemed believable even though later evidence contradicted it. Proven, certain, and actual would wrongly present the story as confirmed fact.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “plausible”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.