plausibility
quality of seeming reasonable or believable
Root
- plaud / plaus: clap, applaud, approve, or seem acceptable
Other words with the plaud / plaus root
- applaud: to clap or express approval
- applause: clapping or public approval
- implausible: not seeming reasonable or believable
- plaudit: praise or enthusiastic approval
- plausible: seeming reasonable or believable
Plausibility is believability on first hearing: the idea sounds reasonable enough to stay in the room.
The theory had plausibility, but the missing evidence kept it from becoming proof.
Plausibility is not truth. It is the doorway before truth. A claim can sound neat, elegant, even satisfying, and still need evidence before you trust it.