plausibility

Everyday

How believable or likely to be true something seems. tree →

In the lessons

In English and science lessons: pupils judge the plausibility of an explanation, a story ending, or an answer. In maths, checking the plausibility of an answer (is it about the right size?) catches mistakes. In media literacy, a plausible-sounding claim can still be false, so check sources.

Examples

• The detective doubted the plausibility of the thief's excuse. tree →
• Check the plausibility of your answer by estimating. tree →
• The plausibility of the story made people believe the fake news. tree →
• Scientists test an idea, not just its plausibility. tree →
• His excuse had some plausibility, but it wasn't true. tree →
• The plot lost its plausibility when the dog started flying a plane. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Adjective: plausible; opposite: implausibility, implausible. Trap: plausible means it sounds true, not that it is true. In maths problems, a plausible answer is one of a sensible size (a child cannot be 300 cm tall).