plausible
129
7.2
- adjective
- /ˈplɔːzəbl/
:
verosímil
- In the absence of another plausible way out of the current situation, it might be worth trying.
- a plausible explanation
- seems plausible
- a plausible reason
Maybe not so plausible, but this does feel real.
- Maybe not so plausible, but this does feel real.
- OK, like on its face plausible, not crazy, should be looked into.
- Is that a mirage or is there a plausible explanation for that?
- He must know them in the most plausible and persuasive form.
- Is that a plausible theory at all?
- And again here nuclear power could be a plausible way forward.
- It's plausible, but we don't really know.
- Wars are fought with covert action and with plausible deniability.
- And So what they're saying, we think, well, this seems plausible.
- Wow, that's so distressing because that feels very plausible.
- That is the most plausible explanation that I've seen, so here it is.
Examples
-
Thanks to brain science, we now have a plausible explanation for such experiences.
Academic text (2011) -
That would be the most plausible explanation.
-
Does that strike you as a plausible and good model?
-
And again here nuclear power could be a plausible way forward.
-
And that seems like a plausible thing to try to train society in.
-
The lower end of this range seems plausible; the upper end is a bit too high.
Academic text (1999) -
Do reforms of this nature actually offer a plausible path to sustainability?
Academic text (1999) -
For me, the thing that seems most plausible is reincarnation.
-
That all sounds quite plausible, but would you have guessed it?
-
Her explanation was plausible enough to convince the committee to consider her proposal.
Synonyms
267
4.2
Something that seems true and that people can trust
98
3.7
Easy to accept as true
1
7.9
Appearing valid but possibly not true
Seeming believable because it matches feelings rather than real proof
Antonyms
How Plausible
Surface Forms
Morphology
plausible = plaus + ible
The suffix '-ible' signals an adjectival meaning, but the root 'plaus' is a Latin combining form not a standalone English word, so learners can partly infer the meaning but not fully derive it from known English base words.
Etymology
Plausible comes from the Latin root plaudere, meaning 'to clap', and from applause 'praise'. So something plausible is like 'applause-worthy' and therefore looks good and believable, which is why we use it for an explanation or story that seems true even if it might not be true.