What does implausibility mean?
Implausibility is the noun meaning the quality of being implausible: unlikely, difficult to believe, or seemingly impossible. It can describe a general quality, as in “the implausibility of the explanation,” or a specific questionable detail, as in “the story contains several implausibilities.” The term is commonly used in formal discussion of evidence, narratives, plans, literature, and theory. It is stronger than mere oddness and generally implies that a reasonable audience should question the claim, though it does not necessarily mean the claim is logically impossible. In debate and analysis, identifying an implausibility can reveal missing information, weak reasoning, or a hidden contradiction. Related forms include the adjective implausible and the adverb implausibly.
nounThe quality of being implausible, or of seeming unlikely or impossible to believe. An implausibility is a detail, claim, or event that strains credulity.
- The quality of being unlikely, difficult to believe, or apparently impossible.
- A detail, event, or claim that is unlikely or difficult to believe.
"The witness’s account contained so many implausibilities that the investigators struggled to regard it as reliable."
"The novel’s central implausibility is that its protagonist can travel between distant cities overnight without consequence."
"She noticed an implausibility in the alibi but did not know what to make of it."
The plural is used for individual details, events, or features that are difficult to believe.
"Several implausibilities in the timeline undermined the witness’s account."
The smallest implausibility can unravel an elaborate story: one impossible detail may make the whole account easier to doubt.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of implausibility
Implausibility is formed from the prefix in- and the noun plausible, with the suffix -ity. The word plausible comes through French from Latin plausibilis, meaning believable or acceptable, from placere, meaning to please, and plausus, meaning approved or believed. The negative formation means not plausible, so implausibility denotes the quality of being unworthy of belief or acceptance.
Related word forms
How implausibility is actually used
The word is relatively formal and is most often used in discussion, criticism, investigation, or analysis. It describes an unusually weak likelihood or credibility rather than a simple lack of preference.
Easily confused with implausibility
An implausibility is extremely unlikely or hard to believe, whereas an impossibility is something that cannot happen or be done at all.
Implausibility is the noun for the quality of being implausible; implausible is the adjective describing a claim, event, or explanation that is hard to believe.