credible

 
Pronunciation: /ˈkrɛdɪb(ə)l/

adjective

  • able to be believed; convincing: few people found his story credible a credible witness
  • capable of persuading people that something will happen or be successful: a credible threat

Derivatives

credibly

adverb

Origin:

late Middle English: from Latin credibilis, from credere 'believe'

Confusion often arises between the words credible and creditable. Credible chiefly means ‘able to be believed; convincing’ ( few people found his story credible), while creditable means ‘deserving acknowledgement and praise but not necessarily outstanding’ ( a very creditable 2-4 defeat).