credibility

/ˈkrɛdəˌbɪlədi/

/krɛdɪˈbɪlɪti/

Other forms: credibilities

You have credibility when you seem totally trustworthy or believable. You lose it when you start lying, cheating and acting rather shady.

Credibility is a noun that speaks to plausibility or believableness, so the star witness at your trial or the person writing your recommendation letter should certainly have it. Be careful though, because someone with credibility isn't necessarily telling the truth. As any con man or politician can tell you, credibility can easily come from nothing more than a confident smile.

Definitions of credibility

1. noun

   the quality of being believable or trustworthy
   synonyms: believability, credibleness

   antonyms:

   incredibility

   the quality of being incredible

   types:

   authenticity, genuineness, legitimacy

   undisputed credibility

   cogency, rigor, rigour, validity

   the quality of being valid and rigorous

   plausibility, plausibleness

   apparent validity

   cred, street cred, street credibility

   credibility among young fashionable urban individuals

   real McCoy, real stuff, real thing

   informal usage attributing authenticity

   reasonableness, tenability, tenableness

   the quality of being plausible or acceptable to a reasonable person

   type of:

   quality

   an essential and distinguishing attribute of something or someone