credible
Loading your saved state.
credible
In such a way that one can believe it; convincing and believable. Often refers to a person, a statement, or a story.
Seine Entschuldigung für die Verspätung klang nicht besonders glaubhaft.
His excuse for being late did not sound especially credible.
to make credible
In a formal or legal context, to prove or convincingly demonstrate that something is probably true without providing complete proof.
Vor Gericht musste er glaubhaft machen, dass er den Vertrag nie erhalten hat.
In court, he had to make it credible that he had never received the contract.
The word consists of the stem of the verb 'glauben' (to believe) and the suffix '-haft' (-like/-ful). The suffix '-haft' means roughly 'having the quality of something.' So 'glaubhaft' (credible) is literally something that has the quality of being believed.
Die Zeugin machte eine sehr glaubhafte Aussage.
The witness made a very credible statement.
'Glaubhaft' (credible) is often used to evaluate the persuasiveness of statements or presentations. Typical combinations are 'eine glaubhafte Geschichte' (a credible story), 'eine glaubhafte Erklärung' (a credible explanation), or verbs like 'glaubhaft wirken' (to seem credible) and 'glaubhaft klingen' (to sound credible).
Seine Erklärung für das Zuspätkommen klang nicht wirklich glaubhaft.
His explanation for being late did not sound really credible.
The expression 'etwas glaubhaft machen' (to make something credible) is a fixed construction that is often used in formal or legal contexts. It follows the pattern 'subject + muss + object (accusative) + glaubhaft machen.'
Der Antragsteller muss glaubhaft machen, dass er die Frist unverschuldet versäumt hat.
The applicant must make it credible that he missed the deadline through no fault of his own.
credible
Glaubwürdig and glaubhaft both say that something can be believed. Glaubwürdig refers more to the trustworthiness of a person or source, while glaubhaft refers more to the convincing content of a statement or story. So ask yourself whether you are evaluating the speaker or their account.
Die Erklärung der Zeugin klang glaubhaft, weil sie den Ablauf genau beschrieb.
The witness's explanation sounded believable because she described the sequence of events precisely.
Die Zeugin wirkte glaubwürdig, weil sie ruhig und offen auf alle Fragen antwortete.
The witness seemed credible because she answered all the questions calmly and openly.
