Plausibility
/ˌplɔː.zəˈbɪl.ə.ti/noun
The quality of seeming reasonable or probable.
Did you know?Plausibility descends from Latin *plausibilis*, from *plaudere* meaning “to clap” or “strike,” so at its root it’s tied to public approval, not objective truth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pleu-
“to strike, beat, clap”
Latin
Latin
plaudere
“to clap; applaud; strike”
Latin
Latin
plausibilis
“worthy of applause; acceptable, pleasing”
Late Latin
Latin
plausibilitas
“the quality of being deserving of approval”
Middle English
English
plausible
“worthy of approval; seemingly acceptable”
Modern English
English
plausibility
“the quality of being believable or apparently reasonable”