credibility gap

noun

1

a

: 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

By blaming so much global disorder on a U.S. credibility gap, analysts can easily overstate Washington’s ability to shape world events. —Keren Yarhi-Milo, Foreign Affairs, 18 June 2024

Dovish leaders also face pressure to appoint hawkish officials to help close their credibility gap on national security, as illustrated by the frequency with which Democratic presidents appoint Republican secretaries of defense. —Elizabeth N. Saunders, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

Beyond the mockery, the royal family faces a lingering credibility gap. —Mark Landler, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2024

The source of hawkish bias lies in the credibility gap that dovish leaders face when making foreign and security policies. —Elizabeth N. Saunders, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1962, in the meaning defined at sense 1b