What does credibility mean?

Definitions for credibility
cred·i·bil·i·ty

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word credibility.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. credibility, credibleness, believabilitynoun

    the quality of being believable or trustworthy

Wiktionary

  1. credibilitynoun

    reputation impacting one's ability to be believed

    After weeks of blowing smoke, her credibility with me was next to nil.

  2. credibilitynoun

    Whether or not a witness is being truthful.

    The primary measure of credibility is whether the testimony is probable or improbable when judged by common experience.

  3. Etymology: From the French crédibilité

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Credibilitynoun

    Claim to credit; possibility of obtaining belief; probability.

    Etymology: from credible.

    The first of those opinions I shall shew to be altogether incredible, and the latter to have all the credibility and evidence of which a thing of that nature is capable. John Tillotson, Serm. i.

    Calculate the several degrees of credibility and conviction, by which the one evidence surpasseth the other. Francis Atterbury.

Wikipedia

  1. Credibility

    Credibility comprises the objective and subjective components of the believability of a source or message. Credibility dates back to Aristotle theory of Rhetoric. Aristotle defines rhetoric as the ability to see what is possibly persuasive in every situation. He divided the means of persuasion into three categories, namely Ethos (the source's credibility), Pathos (the emotional or motivational appeals), and Logos (the logic used to support a claim), which he believed have the capacity to influence the receiver of a message. According to Aristotle, the term "Ethos" deals with the character of the speaker. The intent of the speaker is to appear credible. In fact, the speaker's ethos is a rhetorical strategy employed by an orator whose purpose is to "inspire trust in his audience." Credibility has two key components: trustworthiness and expertise, which both have objective and subjective components. Trustworthiness is based more on subjective factors, but can include objective measurements such as established reliability. Expertise can be similarly subjectively perceived, but also includes relatively objective characteristics of the source or message (e.g., credentials, certification or information quality). Secondary components of credibility include source dynamism (charisma) and physical attractiveness. Credibility online has become an important topic since the mid-1990s. This is because the web has increasingly become an information resource. The Credibility and Digital Media Project @ UCSB highlights recent and ongoing work in this area, including recent consideration of digital media, youth, and credibility. In addition, the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University has studied web credibility and proposed the principal components of online credibility and a general theory called Prominence-Interpretation Theory.

ChatGPT

  1. credibility

    Credibility refers to the quality, capability, or power to elicit belief or trust in others. It is the level of confidence that an individual or information has, based on their perceived expertise, reliability, honesty, and dependability. In various fields such as media, business, politics, or academia, credibility plays a significant role as it influences people's decisions and perceptions.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Credibilitynoun

    the quality of being credible; credibleness; as, the credibility of facts; the credibility of witnesses

  2. Etymology: [Cf. F. crdibilit.]

Wikidata

  1. Credibility

    Credibility refers to the objective and subjective components of the believability of a source or message. Traditionally, modern, credibility has two key components: trustworthiness and expertise, which both have objective and subjective components. Trustworthiness is based more on subjective factors, but can include objective measurements such as established reliability. Expertise can be similarly subjectively perceived, but also includes relatively objective characteristics of the source or message. Secondary components of credibility include source dynamism and physical attractiveness. Credibility online has become an important topic since the mid-1990s. This is because the web has increasingly become an information resource. The Credibility and Digital Media Project @ UCSB highlights recent and ongoing work in this area, including recent consideration of digital media, youth, and credibility. In addition, the Persuasive Technology Lab at Stanford University has studied web credibility and proposed the principal components of online credibility and a general theory called Prominence-Interpretation Theory.

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Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of credibility in Chaldean Numerology is: 9

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of credibility in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8

Examples of credibility in a Sentence

  1. Alencar Burti:

    An impeachment is a traumatic affair that affects the political and business arenas at a time when Brazil is struggling to regain its credibility abroad, what matters now is saving our country. We need to find a solution above personal interests.

  2. Icie Farnsworth:

    I don’t support her because her credibility’s been in question. That’s the main issue. I don’t trust her.

  3. China Daily:

    They have failed to realize that the opposition camp is using them merely as pawns in its maneuvers to reap political gains by damaging the SAR government's credibility and reputation, or that some foreign forces are seizing the opportunity to advance their own strategy to hurt China by trying to create havoc in Hong Kong.

  4. Dan Sullivan:

    These guys came off the frontlines. And they’re going back. They ’ll be fighting probably Monday, it adds a little more poignancy and credibility to what they’re seeking.

  5. Subhankar Goldar:

    Now traffickers are employing young, good-looking men from the region itself who have better credibility to formally marry a girl.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

credibility#10000#11244#100000

Translations for credibility

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"credibility." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/credibility>.

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