plausible

plausible
adjective
plau·;si·;ble ;pl;-z;-b;l
Synonyms of plausible
1
: superficially fair, reasonable, or valuable but often deceptively so
a plausible pretext
2
: superficially pleasing or persuasive
a swindler …  , then a quack, then a smooth, plausible gentleman
—Ralph Waldo Emerson
3
: appearing worthy of belief
the argument was both powerful and plausible
plausibleness noun
plausibly
;pl;-z;-bl;
 adverb


Did you know?
You Can Believe This History of Plausible

Put your hands together for plausible, a word with a sonorous history. Today the word usually means "reasonable" or "believable," but its origins lie in the sensory realm, rather than that of the mind. In fact, plausible comes to us from the Latin adjective plausibilis, meaning "worthy of applause," which in turn derives from the verb plaudere, meaning "to applaud or clap." Other plaudere words include applaud, plaudit (the earliest meaning of which was "a round of applause"), and explode (from the Latin explodere, meaning "to drive off the stage by clapping"). Will the evolution of plaudere continue? Quite plausibly, and to that we say "Bravo."

Synonyms
believable
credible
creditable
likely
presumptive
probable
Examples of plausible in a Sentence
In our solar system, the biggest moon is Jupiter's Ganymede, which has a mass only 2.5 percent that of Earth—too small to easily hang on to an Earth-like atmosphere. But I realized that there are plausible ways for moons approaching the mass of Earth to form in other planetary systems, potentially around giant planets within their stars' habitable zones, where such moons could have atmospheres similar to our own planet.
—Ren; Heller, Scientific American, January 2015
I watch the ospreys who nest on Perch Island high atop their white spruce. Our sense of a plausible summer depends much on their diligent success at nest-building and procreation, and on their chicks fledging in late August.
—Richard Ford, Wall Street Journal, 14-15 June 2008
… I'd mastered the quick size-up. Does the person seem agreeable over coffee at the drugstore counter and picking up his mail at the post office, drive a plausible vehicle, and know the weather forecast?
—Edward Hoagland, Harper's, June 2007
… string theorists can exhibit plausible models of a unified Universe, but unfortunately they cannot explain why we inhabit a particular one.
—Michael Atiyah, Nature, 22-29 Dec. 2005
it's a plausible explanation for the demise of that prehistoric species
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But doctors say many aspects of Biden’s diagnosis timeline are plausible: 70 and older: Men in this age group are typically not recommended for prostate cancer screening, per the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
—Sarah Whitmire, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
There are multiple plausible explanations for both the bacteria’s presence and novelty.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 21 May 2025
The hardest challenge for films with such unique premises that have genuine heart behind them is often creating an internal set of rules that’s plausible enough to generate immediate buy-in from audiences.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 17 May 2025
Indeed, his words and actions suggest that both explanations are plausible.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 16 May 2025

Word History
Etymology
Latin plausibilis worthy of applause, from plausus, past participle of plaudere

First Known Use
1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of plausible was in 1565
See more words from the same year