Synonyms of credible
1
: offering reasonable grounds for being believed or trusted
credible evidence
a credible source
credible witnesses
gave a credible account of the accident
… said the threats were not deemed credible.—Stephen Wall
2
: good enough to be effective
a credible job
… does a credible imitation of a ballet student's exercises, as well as a flapper's Charleston.—Dany Margolies
often, specifically : of sufficient capability to be militarily effective
a credible deterrent
credible forces

Did you know?

Credible evidence is evidence that's likely to be believed. A credible plan is one that might actually work, and a credible excuse is one your parents might actually believe. And just as credible means "believable", the noun credibility means "believability". (But we no longer use incredible to mean the literal opposite of credible, just as we no longer use unbelievable as the literal opposite of believable.) Since cred is short for credibility, "street cred" is the kind of credibility among tough young people that you can only get by proving yourself on the mean streets of the inner city.

Examples of credible in a Sentence

We've received credible information about the group's location. She does a credible job of playing the famous singer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That familiarity can make a fraudulent request sound credible. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 2026 The person with authority often gets to decide what constitutes an acceptable explanation, a credible account, or a sufficient expression of remorse. — Debbie Millman, Time, 22 Oct. 2026 Carr said in 2024 that credible alibi witnesses place Johnson elsewhere at the time of the crime. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 Bloomberg Economics estimates that credible investment commitments are closer to $7 trillion. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for credible

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin credibilis, from credere — see credence

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of credible was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Credible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credible. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

credible

adjective
: offering reasonable grounds for being believed
a credible story
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