Literary notes about Plausible (AI summary)
In literature the word “plausible” functions as a nuanced qualifier that signals an explanation’s apparent credibility while often inviting further scrutiny. Authors use it to describe hypotheses or motives that seem reasonable on their face—sometimes with a subtle hint of irony or caution. For instance, a conjecture might be called plausible as a way to acknowledge its initial attractiveness despite potential flaws ([1],[2],[3]). At other times, it qualifies excuses or justifications that, while superficially sound, fail to withstand deeper examination ([4],[5],[6]). This layered use not only marks the limits of believable reasoning but also enriches narrative tension, as seen when logical arguments or character motivations are framed in terms that are convincing yet ultimately contestable ([7],[8],[9]).
- The conjecture was at least a plausible one, and the detective began to seriously regret that he had embarked on the affair.
— from Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne - This may be plausible enough, but it is only plausible.
— from The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton and John Jay and James Madison - If we had come to plausible results on the basis of these hypotheses, we would have been justified in concluding that the hypotheses were correct.
— from A General Introduction to Psychoanalysis by Sigmund Freud - He begged hard, and said he couldn’t play—a plausible excuse, but too thin; there wasn’t a musician in the country that could.
— from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain - With a plausible excuse and seeming indifference, he gracefully opened conversation with the mantua-maker as only a Parisian can.
— from The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales by Bret Harte - This has a plausible sound, but breaks down when examined closely.
— from The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James - Elaboration by reasoning may make a suggested idea very rich and very plausible, but it will not settle the validity of that idea.
— from How We Think by John Dewey - Conjectures that seem plausible at first sight are often found unfit or even absurd when their full consequences are traced out.
— from How We Think by John Dewey - This puts the crude argument in its strongest and most plausible form.
— from The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes
