plausible

What it means

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

   a plausible excuse

   2 more examples

   In short, the twin assumptions that syntactic rules are category-based, and that there are a highly restricted finite set of categories in any natural language (perhaps no more than a dozen major categories), together with the assumption that the child either knows (innately) or learns (by experience) that all rules are structure-dependent ( =category-based), provide a highly plausible model of language acquisition, in which languages become learnable in a relatively short, finite period of time (a few years).

   1988, Andrew Radford, Transformative Grammar: A First Course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 64

   Russian SPETSNAZ are irregular forces that operate covertly, providing the Russian government plausible deniability.

   2014, “Little Green Men”: A Primer on Modern Russian Unconventional Warfare, Ukraine 2013–2014, Fort Bragg, North Carolina: The United States Army Special Operations Command, page 43

   Synonyms: credible, believable, reasonable, tenable, specious · Antonyms: implausible, incredible, unbelievable, far-fetched

2. Obtaining approbation; specifically pleasing; apparently right; specious.

   a plausible pretext; plausible manners; a plausible delusion

3. obsoleteWorthy of being applauded; praiseworthy; commendable; ready.

   capable of receiving a plauſible Anſwer

   1693, John Hacket, Scrinia reserata: a Memorial offered to the great Deservings of John Williams

   1 more example

   […] a coachman named Richard, who was described as a "sensible, well-behaved yellow boy, who is plausible and can read and write."

   1955, William H. Townsend, Lincoln and the Bluegrass: Slavery and Civil War in Kentucky

In a sentence

a plausible excuse

Where it comes from

1. Latinplausibilis“deserving applause, praiseworthy, acceptable, pleasing”
2. Englishplausible

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