credible
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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.
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.
to prove
'beweisen' and 'glaubhaft' can occur in similar situations, especially when someone has to explain that something is true. 'beweisen' is stronger: you show with clear evidence that something is true. 'glaubhaft' describes something as seeming convincing and believable. In the phrase 'glaubhaft machen' (to make something credible), it often means presenting something as probable and convincing, but not necessarily proving it completely. So the risk of confusion lies in the strength of the meaning: something that is 'glaubhaft' does not have to be strictly proven yet.
Der Mitarbeiter erklärt glaubhaft, warum er den Zug verpasst hat.
The employee gives a credible explanation of why he missed the train.
Der Gast hat mit einer E-Mail bewiesen, dass er rechtzeitig reserviert hatte.
The guest proved with an email that he had made the reservation on time.