having an appearance of truth or reason; seemingly worthy of approval or acceptance; credible; believable:
a plausible excuse; a plausible plot.
2.
well-spoken and apparently, but often deceptively, worthy of confidence or trust:
a plausible commentator.
Origin
1535-45; < Latinplausibilis deserving applause, equivalent to plaus(us) (past participle of plaudere to applaud) + -ibilis-ible
Related forms
plausibility, plausibleness, noun
plausibly, adverb
nonplausibility, noun
nonplausible, adjective
nonplausibleness, noun
nonplausibly, adverb
overplausible, adjective
overplausibleness, noun
overplausibly, adverb
superplausible, adjective
superplausibleness, noun
superplausibly, adverb
unplausible, adjective
unplausibleness, noun
unplausibly, adverb
Synonyms
1. Plausible, specious describe that which has the appearance of truth but might be deceptive. The person or thing that is plausible strikes the superficial judgment favorably; it may or may not be true: a plausible argument (one that cannot be verified or believed in entirely). Specious definitely implies deceit or falsehood; the surface appearances are quite different from what is beneath: a specious pretense of honesty; a specious argument (one deliberately deceptive, probably for selfish or evil purposes).
Antonyms
1. honest, sincere.
Examples from the web for plausible
And yet there is a plausible path to success.
The novelist consulted a cousin, a mathematician, to make the action plausible.
Finally, as a class, discuss the ethics of plausible deniability.
The idea of making market forces work to bring down health-care and health-insurance costs is plausible.
I've got this completely over-the-top premise, which is not in any way plausible in itself.
Anything is plausible in one or another of these short stories.
Funny how what seemed laughable then sounds entirely plausible now.
There seem to be only two plausible explanations.
Readers will enjoy the sheer exuberance of this all too plausible caper.
The explanation was plausible, even elegant, but untested.
British Dictionary definitions for plausible
plausible
/ˈplɔːzəbəl/
adjective
1.
apparently reasonable, valid, truthful, etc: a plausible excuse
2.
apparently trustworthy or believable: a plausible speaker
C16: from Latin plausibilis worthy of applause, from plaudere to applaud
Word Origin and History for plausible
adj.
1540s, "acceptable, agreeable," from Latin plausibilis "deserving applause, acceptable," from plaus-, past participle stem of plaudere "to applaud" (see plaudit). Meaning "having the appearance of truth" is recorded from 1560s. Related: Plausibly.