Langimage
English

believable

|be/lieve/a/ble|

B2

/bɪˈliːvəbl̩/

(believe)

accept as true

Base FormPluralPlural3rd Person Sing.PastPast ParticiplePresent ParticipleNounAdjectiveAdverb
believenon-believersbelieversbelievesbelievedbelievedbelievingbelievabilitybelievablebelievably
Etymology
Etymology Information

'believable' originates from the Old English word 'belȳfan,' where 'be-' meant 'by' and 'lȳfan' meant 'to allow or permit.'

Historical Evolution

'belȳfan' transformed into the Middle English word 'bileven,' and eventually became the modern English word 'believe,' from which 'believable' is derived.

Meaning Changes

Initially, it meant 'to allow or permit,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'capable of being believed.'

Meanings by Part of Speech

Adjective 1

capable of being believed; credible.

The story was so well-written that it was entirely believable.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:35