plausibile

Plausibile is an Italian adjective meaning capable of being believed or accepted as true. It denotes something that seems likely or reasonable based on the available evidence. In usage, it describes explanations, hypotheses, plans, or claims that appear credible, even if their truth has not been established.

Historically, plausibile derives from Latin plausibilis, from plausus meaning “applause,” used figuratively to mean “worthy of praise.” The term entered Italian through Latin and early Romance usage and has cognates in other Romance languages and in English (plausible).

In Italian, plausibile is an -ibile adjective that forms plurals as plausibili for both genders: una spiegazione plausibile; due spiegazioni plausibili. It commonly appears before nouns to qualify them, or after certain verbs to describe how something is perceived, as in "sembra plausibile" or "un'ipotesi plausibile."

Nuance and usage notes: plausible is often contrasted with credibile (credible) and verosimile (verosimilar). Plausibile emphasizes plausibility or reasonableness based on argument or evidence, rather than proven fact. The expression can appear in both everyday and formal discourse, including scientific, legal, or political contexts. In occasional bilingual contexts, phrases like deniabilità plausibile (plausible deniability) may occur.