plausibly
gb/plˈɔzəbli/ us/plˈɔzəbli/
C1
English
hihetően, hitelesen, elképzelhető, hogy, ésszerűen feltételezhető, hogy
C1
1
Usage pattern:
[someone] explains/argues [something] plausibly; [something] sounds plausibly [adjective]
She plausibly explained why the figures didn’t match the earlier report.
Hihető magyarázatot adott arra, miért nem egyeztek a számok a korábbi jelentéssel.
The witness gave a plausibly detailed account of what happened.
A tanú hihető, részletes beszámolót adott a történtekről.
The theory plausibly links the symptoms to a single underlying cause.
Learner examples
He plausibly explained his mistake.
Hihető magyarázatot adott a hibájára.
That story sounds plausibly true.
Az a történet hihetőnek hangzik.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse it with 'possibly'; 'plausibly' means not just possible but also believable/reasonable.
Meaning
in a believable, convincing way
Collocations
plausibly argue
|plausibly claim
|plausibly suggest
|plausibly explain
|plausibly interpreted
|plausibly be
|sounds plausibly
|seems plausibly
|plausibly deniable
|plausibly innocent
Synonyms
credibly (Emphasizes being worthy of belief.)
|
believably (More general and less formal.)
|
convincingly (Emphasizes persuading the listener/reader.)
Antonyms
implausibly (In a way that seems unlikely or hard to believe.)
|
unconvincingly (Fails to persuade or seem believable.)
Themes
communication
|thinking
|writing
Definition
In a way that seems true and reasonable.
In a way that seems believable, sensible, and likely to be true.
C1
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
[something] could plausibly [verb]; Plausibly, [clause]
A small delay could plausibly push the launch into next month.
Egy kisebb késés miatt az indulás akár a jövő hónapra is csúszhat.
Plausibly, the email was sent from a compromised account rather than by the manager.
Ésszerűen feltételezhető, hogy az e-mailt nem a vezető, hanem egy feltört fiókból küldték.
The change in policy could plausibly affect prices across the region.
Learner examples
It could plausibly rain later.
Elképzelhető, hogy később esni fog.
Plausibly, he forgot to reply.
Elképzelhető, hogy elfelejtett válaszolni.
Common mistake:
Do not use it for very unlikely situations; it implies the idea is sensible, not just imaginable.
Meaning
reasonably possibly; not certain
Collocations
could plausibly be
|could plausibly happen
|could plausibly lead to
|could plausibly result in
|could plausibly explain
|quite plausibly
|most plausibly
|plausibly could
|plausibly interpreted as
|plausibly enough
Synonyms
reasonably (Less about believability, more about what is sensible.)
|
conceivably (Often weaker; can include more speculative possibilities.)
|
possibly (More neutral; does not imply the idea is especially credible.)
Antonyms
impossibly (Indicates something cannot reasonably be true or happen.)
|
unlikely (Suggests low probability rather than reasonable possibility.)
Themes
thinking
|probability
|news
Definition
Used to say something is reasonably possible.
Used to say that something could reasonably happen or be true, though it is not certain.
Grammar
Dictionary form
plausibly
IPA
GB/plˈɔzəbli/
US/plˈɔzəbli/
Syllables & stress
plaus - ibly (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (plaus)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: plausibly
- Plural: plausiblies
Word family
Forms
plausiblies
noun
Core family
plausible
adjective B2
Related words
plausibility
noun C1
Negative and opposite forms
implausible
adjective
implausibly
adverb
implausibility
noun
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.