Believable
What it means
Consistent and well-supported enough to be accepted as probably true.
Reach for it when judging whether an account, character, explanation, or claim convinces
Specific dates and modest conclusions made the report believable.
Words to choose between 6
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal | |
| literary |
-
everyday
Fits when the presentation successfully persuades
Not when objective truth is independently verified
-
warm
Fits when a voice or portrayal feels genuine
Not when factual likelihood is the issue
-
professional
Fits when evidence and expertise support acceptance
Not when fictional realism is being praised
-
professional
Fits when details match ordinary life or constraints
Not when a surprising claim has strong proof
-
formal
plausible
Fits when something could reasonably be true
Not when the evidence already establishes it
-
literary
true-to-life
Fits when a portrayal resembles lived reality
Not when formal evidence review is required
Opposites 3
- implausible
- incredible
- unconvincing
Common phrases 3
-
believable account
The witness offered a believable account without embellishing uncertain details.
-
entirely believable
Her nervous pause made the character entirely believable.
-
sound believable
The projected savings sound believable after the assumptions are disclosed.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated