One entry found for plausible.

Main Entry: plau·si·ble
Pronunciation: pl-z-bl
Function: adjective
Etymology: from Latin plausibilis "deserving applause, pleasing," from plausus, past participle of plaudere "to clap" --related to APPLAUD, EXPLODE, PLAUDIT --see Word History at EXPLODE
1 : seemingly fair, reasonable, or valuable but often not so <a plausible excuse>
2 : appearing worthy of belief <the argument was both plausible and powerful>
- plau·si·bil·i·ty /pl-z-bil-t-/ noun
- plau·si·bly /pl-z-bl/ adverb
Word History A plausible explanation is one that sounds as if it could be true. Such an explanation is not usually greeted with applause, but the origin of plausible suggests that it might be. Plausible comes from the Latin word plausibilis, meaning "worthy of applause." The first use of plausible in English was to describe a person or thing that deserved special praise. That use is now obsolete. To call something plausible now is to praise it only slightly, if at all.