Adjacent Words

Plausible definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PLAUS'IBLE, a. s as z. [L. plausibilis, from plaudo, to clap hands in token of approbation; laus, laudo; Eng. loud.]
1. That may be applauded; that may gain favor or approbation; hence, superficially pleasing; apparently right; specious; popular; as a plausible argument; a plausible pretext; a plausible doctrine.
2. Using specious arguments or discourse; as a plausible man.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: apparently reasonable and valid, and truthful; "a plausible excuse" [ant: implausible]
2: given to or characterized by presenting specious arguments; "a plausible liar"

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Latin plausibilis worthy of applause, from plausus, past participle of plaudere Date: 1565 1. superficially fair, reasonable, or valuable but often specious <a plausible pretext> 2. superficially pleasing or persuasive <a swindler…, then a quack, then a smooth, plausible gentleman — R. W. Emerson> 3. appearing worthy of belief <the argument was both powerful and plausible> • plausibleness noun • plausibly adverb

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 (of an argument, statement, etc.) seeming reasonable or probable. 2 (of a person) persuasive but deceptive. Derivatives: plausibility n. plausibly adv. Etymology: L plausibilis (as PLAUDIT)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Plausible Plau"si*ble, a. [L. plausibilis praiseworthy, from plaudere, plausum, to applaud, clap the hands, strike, beat.] 1. Worthy of being applauded; praiseworthy; commendable; ready. [Obs.] --Bp. Hacket. 2. Obtaining approbation; specifically pleasing; apparently right; specious; as, a plausible pretext; plausible manners; a plausible delusion. ``Plausible and popular arguments.'' --Clarendon. 3. Using specious arguments or discourse; as, a plausible speaker.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

1. An explanation or statement that is plausible seems likely to be true or valid. A more plausible explanation would seem to be that people are fed up with the Conservative government... = reasonable ADJ • plausibly Having bluffed his way in without paying, he could not plausibly demand his money back. ADV: ADV with v • plausibility ...the plausibility of the theory. = credibility 2. If you say that someone is plausible, you mean that they seem to be telling the truth and to be sincere and honest. He was so plausible that he conned everybody. = believable ADJ

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Specious, colorable, seemingly fair. 2. Fair-spoken, glib, using specious arguments.

Moby Thesaurus

acceptable, admissible, apparent, apparently sound, believable, casuistic, cogent, cogitable, colorable, colored, conceivable, conceivably possible, contingent, credible, creditable, deceitful, deceptive, disingenuous, empty, fallacious, fiduciary, gilded, hollow, humanly possible, illusive, imaginable, insincere, jesuitic, just, justifiable, legitimate, likely, logical, meretricious, misleading, ostensible, overrefined, oversubtle, philosophistic, possible, potential, presentable, probable, rational, reasonable, reliable, sane, seeming, sensible, smooth, sophistic, sophistical, sound, specious, tenable, thinkable, tinsel, trustworthy, trusty, unexceptionable, unimpeachable, unquestionable, well-argued, well-founded, well-grounded, wholesome, worthy of faith