the quality of being believable or trustworthy
"The journalist lost her credibility when she was caught fabricating stories in her reports."
Reputation impacting one's ability to be believed.
"The scandal severely damaged his credibility, causing many of his supporters to doubt his future claims."
In plain English: Credibility is how much people believe what you say because they trust your word and know it's true.
"His credibility was damaged when he admitted to lying about his whereabouts."
Usage: Credibility refers specifically to the quality of being trusted and credible, often built through consistent actions rather than just words. It is commonly confused with reliability, but while a reliable person does what they say, someone with credibility inspires confidence in their truthfulness or expertise.
Credibility entered English through the French word crédibilité, which itself came from the Medieval Latin term for trustworthiness or believability. The modern sense of being able to be believed was already present in its ancient Latin root before traveling across languages.