cred·i·ble
(krĕd́ə-bəl)
[Middle English, from Latin crēdibilis, from crēdere, to believe.]
adjective
- Capable of being believed; plausible. See synonyms at plausible
- Worthy of confidence; reliable.
- Being of sufficient military capability to deter an attack or carry out an operation successfully: credible military force.
derivatives
- cred́i·ble·ness
- noun
- cred́i·bly
- adverb
usage note
Usage Note: Credible is widely but incorrectly used where credulous would be appropriate. Credulous means “believing too readily” or “gullible,” as in He was credulous (not credible ) enough to believe the manufacturer's claims.
