plausibly
gb/plˈɔzəbli/ us/plˈɔzəbli/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adverb
C1
property
1
in a believable, convincing way
In a way that seems true and reasonable.
Usage pattern:
[someone] explains/argues [something] plausibly; [something] sounds plausibly [adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse it with 'possibly'; 'plausibly' means not just possible but also believable/reasonable.
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.)
Collocations
plausibly argue
|plausibly claim
|plausibly suggest
|plausibly explain
|plausibly interpreted
|plausibly be
|sounds plausibly
|seems plausibly
|plausibly deniable
|plausibly innocent
Themes
communication
|thinking
|writing
Examples
- She plausibly explained why the figures didn’t match the earlier report.
- The witness gave a plausibly detailed account of what happened.
- The theory plausibly links the symptoms to a single underlying cause.
Learner examples
- He plausibly explained his mistake.
- That story sounds plausibly true.
adverb
formal
C1
relation
2
reasonably possibly; not certain
Used to say something is reasonably possible.
Usage pattern:
[something] could plausibly [verb]; Plausibly, [clause]
Common mistake:
Do not use it for very unlikely situations; it implies the idea is sensible, not just imaginable.
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.)
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
Themes
thinking
|probability
|news
Examples
- A small delay could plausibly push the launch into next month.
- Plausibly, the email was sent from a compromised account rather than by the manager.
- The change in policy could plausibly affect prices across the region.
Learner examples
- It could plausibly rain later.
- Plausibly, he forgot to reply.
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.