fairly credible

USAGE SUMMARY

"fairly credible" is a grammatically correct phrase in written English.
You could use it to mean that something is believable to a certain degree, but not entirely. For example, "The witness' testimony was fairly credible, but some of their claims seemed inconsistent."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

16 human-written examples

"We do have in my opinion fairly credible signs of stabilization".

The New York Times

Less obviously, she finds fairly credible roles for young women within the gang structure.

The Guardian

The plans are fairly credible, but the chief executives from the Big Three auto companies left two things in Detroit.

The New York Times

Also here is an extensive, fairly credible look-alike, the 2008 "New York Times —Special Edition," orchestrated by Steve Lambert and Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Men.

The New York Times - Arts

Inside, the most recent losers were sitting around a table abundant with junk food, in fairly credible portrayals of calm and normalcy.

The New York Times

Over the past couple of years — under Ballmer, no less — Microsoft has begun to articulate a fairly credible vision of its current ideal world for users.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

43 human-written examples

What I learned fairly quickly is that trying to create a reasonably credible world and the characters that inhabit it on your own is a recipe for madness.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

Independent monitors from the African Union, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and other international organizations agreed that the election results were fairly free and credible.

Encyclopedia Britannica

Based on the fairly vague (but credible) information I had, I figured it was mainly based around the Twitter Photos product which Twitter was rushing to get out in time.

TechCrunch

Through a synthesis of comparative-genomic data and bottom-up reconstructions of early stages of life's evolution, it is now possible to outline what I believe to be a fairly complete and credible history of spliceosomal introns (Fig. 3).

Biology Direct

His mother (Tana Hicken, making a fairly ludicrous part entirely credible) divulges this news to the secretly pregnant Nina, and urges her to get rid of the baby lest the curse continue.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "fairly credible" when you want to indicate that something is believable but not entirely certain. It's useful when assessing evidence, arguments, or sources where complete certainty is not possible.

Common error

Avoid using "fairly credible" when the evidence strongly supports a claim. In such cases, "credible" or "highly credible" might be more appropriate to accurately reflect the strength of the evidence.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "fairly credible" functions as an adjective phrase that modifies a noun, indicating the degree to which something can be believed. As shown in Ludwig, it suggests a moderate level of believability but not complete certainty. This usage aligns with Ludwig AI's assessment that the phrase is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

76%

Science

13%

Encyclopedias

4%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "fairly credible" is a common and grammatically correct adjective phrase used to describe something that is believable to a certain extent but not entirely convincing. Ludwig AI confirms this, and the examples show its prevalence in news and media, as well as occasional use in scientific contexts. When writing, use it to convey a qualified endorsement, and be mindful of overstating credibility when stronger terms might be more accurate.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

reasonably believable

Emphasizes the plausibility of something to a reasonable degree, similar to being fairly credible.

somewhat convincing

Highlights the persuasive aspect, implying that something is partly, but not entirely, convincing.

moderately plausible

Focuses on the apparent validity or acceptability of something, but only to a moderate extent.

partially reliable

Suggests that something is trustworthy to some extent, but not completely.

kind of believable

Informal way of expressing that something is believable to a certain degree.

quite plausible

Indicates a good degree of plausibility, though not absolute certainty.

noticeably credible

Emphasizes that the credibility is significant and easily observed.

acceptably reliable

Indicates that reliability meets a certain standard, though it might not be exceptional.

pretty convincing

Suggests a good level of persuasiveness, though perhaps not fully definitive.

conceivably trustworthy

Implies that it's possible to trust something, though it's not a definite assurance.

FAQs

How can I use "fairly credible" in a sentence?

You can use "fairly credible" to describe information or sources that are somewhat believable but not entirely convincing. For example, "The witness's account was "fairly credible", but further investigation is needed".

What can I say instead of "fairly credible"?

You can use alternatives like "reasonably believable", "somewhat convincing", or "moderately plausible" depending on the context.

Is "fairly credible" too weak a phrase for formal writing?

While "fairly credible" is acceptable, consider using stronger alternatives like "quite credible" or "substantially credible" in formal writing to convey a higher degree of believability.

What's the difference between "fairly credible" and "credible"?

"Fairly credible" indicates a moderate level of believability, while "credible" suggests a higher, more certain level of trustworthiness. "Fairly" introduces a degree of uncertainty or qualification.