Standard Lemma guide

plausible

adj · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈplɔː.zɪ.bl̩/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈplɔː.zə.bl̩/
  • Atlantic-Canada, General-American, cot-caught-merger: /ˈplɑ.zɪ.bəl/
  • Atlantic-Canada, General-American, cot-caught-merger: [ˈplɑ.zɪ.bl̩]
  • California, Southern: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈploː.zɪ.bəl/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈploː.zə.bəl/
  • /ˈplaː.zə.bəl/ Dublin
  • CMU ARPABET: P L AO1 Z AH0 B AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Seemingly or apparently valid, likely, or acceptable; conceivably true or likely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a plausible excuse

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: credible, believable, reasonable, tenable, specious

Antonyms: implausible, incredible, unbelievable, far-fetched

2

adj

Meaning 2

Obtaining approbation; specifically pleasing; apparently right; specious.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • a plausible pretext; plausible manners; a plausible delusion

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Worthy of being applauded; praiseworthy; commendable; ready.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective

Meaning 4

apparently reasonable and valid, and truthful

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a plausible excuse

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: implausible

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

given to or characterized by presenting specious arguments

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a plausible liar

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Latin plausibilis (“deserving applause, praiseworthy, acceptable, pleasing”), from the participle stem of plaudere (“to applaud”).

Across languages

Translations

76 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: plausible — likely, acceptable
  • Czech: přijatelný — likely, acceptable
  • Czech: věrohodný — likely, acceptable
  • Czech: uvěřitelný — likely, acceptable
  • Czech: hodnověrný — likely, acceptable
  • Czech: plauzibilní — likely, acceptable
  • Dutch: plausibel — likely, acceptable
  • Dutch: aannemelijk — likely, acceptable
  • Dutch: aanneembaar — likely, acceptable
  • Esperanto: kredebla — likely, acceptable
  • Esperanto: kredinda — likely, acceptable
  • Esperanto: verŝajna — likely, acceptable
  • Estonian: usutav — likely, acceptable
  • Estonian: tõenäoline — likely, acceptable
  • Estonian: mõistlik — likely, acceptable
  • Estonian: vastuvõetav — likely, acceptable
  • Finnish: uskottava — likely, acceptable
  • French: plausible — likely, acceptable
  • Galician: plausible — likely, acceptable
  • Galician: plausíbel — likely, acceptable
  • Georgian: დამაჯერებელი (damaǯerebeli) — likely, acceptable
  • Georgian: შესაძლებელი (šesaʒlebeli) — likely, acceptable
  • Georgian: სავარაუდო (savaraudo) — likely, acceptable
  • Georgian: მოსალოდნელი (mosalodneli) — likely, acceptable
  • German: plausibel — likely, acceptable
  • German: glaubhaft — likely, acceptable
  • Greek: ευλογοφανής (evlogofanís) — likely, acceptable
  • Hebrew: סביר (savír) — likely, acceptable
  • Hindi: मुमकिन (mumkin) — likely, acceptable
  • Hungarian: elfogadható — likely, acceptable
  • Latin: probābilis — likely, acceptable
  • Latvian: iespējams — likely, acceptable
  • Latvian: ticams — likely, acceptable
  • Macedonian: уверлив (uverliv) — likely, acceptable
  • Macedonian: веродостоен (verodostoen) — likely, acceptable
  • Macedonian: веројатен (verojaten) — likely, acceptable
  • Manx: so-chredjallagh — likely, acceptable
  • Polish: do przyjęcia — likely, acceptable
  • Polish: wiarygodny — likely, acceptable
  • Polish: prawdopodobny — likely, acceptable
  • Portuguese: plausível — likely, acceptable
  • Romanian: plauzibil — likely, acceptable
  • Russian: правдоподо́бный (pravdopodóbnyj) — likely, acceptable
  • Russian: вероя́тный (verojátnyj) — likely, acceptable
  • Russian: похо́жий на пра́вду (poxóžij na právdu) — likely, acceptable
  • Russian: состоя́тельный (sostojátelʹnyj) — likely, acceptable
  • Russian: аргументи́рованный (argumentírovannyj) — likely, acceptable
  • Russian: прие́млемый (prijémlemyj) — likely, acceptable
  • Serbo-Croatian: plauzibilan — likely, acceptable
  • Serbo-Croatian: prihvatljiv — likely, acceptable
  • Serbo-Croatian: moguć — likely, acceptable
  • Serbo-Croatian: vjerojatan — likely, acceptable
  • Serbo-Croatian: verovatan — likely, acceptable
  • Spanish: probable — likely, acceptable
  • Spanish: plausible — likely, acceptable
  • Swedish: rimlig — likely, acceptable
  • Swedish: plausibel — likely, acceptable
  • Ukrainian: правдоподібний (pravdopodibnyj) — likely, acceptable
  • Ukrainian: ймовірний (jmovirnyj) — likely, acceptable
  • Finnish: uskottava — obtaining approbation
  • Finnish: pettävä — obtaining approbation
  • Finnish: harhaanjohtava — obtaining approbation
  • Russian: благови́дный (blagovídnyj) — obtaining approbation
  • Ukrainian: пристойний (prystojnyj) — obtaining approbation
  • Ukrainian: заслуговуючий на довіру (zasluhovujučyj na doviru) — obtaining approbation
  • Catalan: plausible — worthy of being applauded
  • Czech: ocenitelný — worthy of being applauded
  • Esperanto: aprobebla — worthy of being applauded
  • Galician: plausíbel — worthy of being applauded
  • Galician: plausible — worthy of being applauded
  • Hindi: प्रशंसनीय (praśansnīya) — worthy of being applauded
  • Polish: chwalebny — worthy of being applauded
  • Polish: godny pochwały — worthy of being applauded
  • Portuguese: plausível — worthy of being applauded
  • Russian: досто́йный похвалы́ (dostójnyj poxvalý) — worthy of being applauded
  • Spanish: plausible — worthy of being applauded