Implausibel

Implausibel is an adjective used primarily in Dutch to describe something that is not believable or lacks credibility. It signals that a claim, story, explanation, or hypothesis is unlikely to be true or insufficiently supported by evidence. In Dutch-language discourse, implausibel can apply to a wide range of statements, from everyday rumors to scientific or legal arguments.

Etymology and related forms: Implausibel is formed from the prefix im- (negation) attached to plausible, the English cognate of the Latin plausibilis. Plausible itself originates in Latin plausibilis meaning “worthy of applause” or “pavorable,” and over time came to mean credible or believable. The English counterpart is implausible, used in a similar sense of something being hard to accept as true.

Usage and nuance: The term conveys a stronger judgment than merely unlikely. When something is deemed implausibel, it is regarded as lacking convincing grounds or consistent with known facts. In scientific writing, researchers distinguish between plausible but unproven hypotheses and implausible claims that conflict with established data. In media and everyday talk, labeling a narrative implausibel often invites requests for additional evidence or alternative explanations.

See also and related terms: Plausible, plausibility, implausibility, implausibly. Cross-linguistically, Dutch implausibel and English implausible share the same core idea, with spelling reflecting language-specific conventions.