credibility gap
nounDefinition of credibility gap
1a
: lack of trust
a credibility gap between generations
b
: lack of believability
a credibility gap created by contradictory official statements— Samuel Ellenport
2
: discrepancy
the credibility gap between the professed ideals … and their actual practices— Jeanne L. Noble
Examples of credibility gap in a Sentence
There is a credibility gap between what the mayor says and what the people see happening in the city.
The fact that the new estimates are so wildly different from the initial numbers has created a credibility gap.
Recent Examples on the Web
Long before responsible organs of public opinion like The New York Times and the CBS Evening News discovered it, Mad told its readers all about the credibility gap. — Michael J. Socolow, Smithsonian, "In its Heyday, Mad Magazine Was a Lot More Than Silly Jokes," 11 May 2018 The White House’s credibility gap has become a chasm. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Five takeaways from Trump’s thwarted effort to fire Mueller," 26 Jan. 2018 The country faces a credibility gap after years of promises to free up the economy were followed by more centralized control, market-access barriers and state support for local companies. — Bloomberg.com, "China's Xi Pledges Greater Openness Amid Trump Trade Dispute," 10 Apr. 2018 The credibility gap between the reality of Hue and Westmoreland’s spin was blatant. — Will Bunch, Philly.com, "50 years ago, Walter Cronkite told America the bitter truth. We need more Cronkites today | Will Bunch," 22 Feb. 2018 The White House's credibility gap has become a chasm. — James Hohmann, courant.com, "The Daily 202: Five Takeaways From Trump’s Thwarted Effort To Fire Mueller," 26 Jan. 2018 The increasing contrast between the situation on the island being portrayed in news reports and the White House is beginning to set up a credibility gap that is casting doubt on the administration's statements on the crisis. — Stephen Collinson, CNN, "Trump White House feels heat on Puerto Rico," 29 Sep. 2017 The filmmakers argue in the piece that America’s failure in Vietnam undermined its citizens’ faith in its most respected institutions, and opened the credibility gap that the American presidency has yet to overcome. — Derek Thompson, The Atlantic, "Experience Final Episode of “The Vietnam War” with Ken Burns and Lynn Novick at Washington Ideas, September 28 Evening at Sidney Harman Hall," 25 Sep. 2017 Kerry, who captained a swift boat in Vietnam before returning home to protest the war, echoed similar themes and alluded to the Trump administration’s credibility gap. — James Hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: McCain and Kerry outline lessons from Vietnam after watching new Ken Burns documentary," 13 Sep. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'credibility gap.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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