unplausiblyadv.
/(ˌ)ʌnˈplɔːzᵻbli/, U.S. /ˌənˈplɔzəbli/, /ˌənˈplɑzəbli/ Now rare.
Implausibly, improbably.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > improbability, unlikeliness > [adverb] > unconvincingly
unsatisfyingly1653
unsatisfactorily1657
weakly1662
unplausibly1706
implausibly1818
unpersuasively1855
unconvincingly1891
1706 tr. L. Liger Compl. Florist in tr. F. Gentil Le Jardinier Solitaire 399 The Authors..have reason'd so loosely, and so unplausibly, upon this Head.
a1797 E. Burke Fourth Let. Peace Regicide Directory of France in Wks. (1812) V. 20 Men would reason not unplausibly, that it would be better to get rid of the Monarchy at once.
a1834 S. T. Coleridge Lit. Remains (1839) IV. 138 Others, again, and not unplausibly, contend that it was the Creed of the Catechumens.
1862 M. Hopkins Hawaii 85 Cook's two ships..appeared to them, not unplausibly, islands, the masts being trees.
1913 H. H. Powers Message of Greek Art xiii. 250 The dog unplausibly puts his paws against the frame of the picture.
1990 Phronesis 35 33 It was rather unplausibly suggested that Trueness and Falseness were just special qualities of such higher order complexes.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adv.1706