credibility
kred-uh-BIL-uh-tee
/ˌkrɛdəˈbɪləti/
The quality of being trusted and believed in.
Credibility is about trustworthiness and believability, often built over time through consistent accuracy and reliability.
The story behind the word. The word 'credibility' comes from the Latin 'credibilis,' meaning 'believable,' which itself is derived from 'credere,' meaning 'to believe' or 'to trust.' This root is also found in words like 'credit' and 'creed.' In English, 'credibility' emerged to describe the quality of being worthy of belief, emphasizing the trustworthiness of a source or statement.
Word relationships
- trustworthiness: The quality of being able to be relied on as honest or truthful.
- reliability: The quality of being trustworthy or of performing consistently well.
- authority: The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience; can also refer to an expert whose statements are trusted.
- unreliability: The quality of not being able to be relied upon.
- dubiousness: The quality of being doubtful or questionable.
- discredit: Harm the good reputation of (someone or something).
Commonly confused with
- veracity: Credibility refers to the believability of a source; veracity refers to the truthfulness of a statement.
Word family
- credible (adjective): Able to be believed; convincing.
- incredulous (adjective): Unwilling or unable to believe something.
Collocations
- lose credibility
- gain credibility
- establish credibility
- lack credibility
- credibility gap
Example sentences
- "After several instances of inaccurate reporting, the news organization's credibility among its readers plummeted." Discussing a news organization.
- "The lawyer worked to undermine the witness's credibility by highlighting inconsistencies in their testimony." In a legal setting.
Memory hook
Good 'CREDIT' builds 'CREDIBILITY' because you are believed to be trustworthy. Trustworthiness, belief
When not to use
Do not use 'credibility' to refer to the truthfulness of a statement itself; use 'veracity' or 'accuracy' for that. Credibility applies to the source or person.
Fun facts
- The phrase 'credibility gap' became popular during the Vietnam War to describe the public's distrust of official statements.
- In rhetoric, 'ethos' is the appeal to the speaker's credibility or character.
Related words
Explore more words
discredit, attribution, investigative, authority, integrity, endorse
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