plausible.

appearing reasonable or believable on the available information

Use it for

Words that belong together

• plausible explanation
• plausible mechanism
• plausible interpretation

On the page

The evidence makes this explanation plausible, not certain.

Several plausible mechanisms could account for the change.

A plausible reading must still address the contradictory details.

Usage notes

Primary curation section: Academic. A plausible explanation might be true; plausibility alone does not establish truth or probability. Comparative: more plausible; superlative: most plausible. Related noun: plausibility.