credible or creditable

[ostap77]

What's the difference between these two adjectives?

credibility of the financial statements or creditability of the financial statements?

accepted as creditable by potential investors or credible by potential investors?

I would take a wild guess to suggest that the way I understand it a business plan or a factory can be "creditable", whereas such things as the financial statements or annual reports can be "credible"?

 

[BobK]

Waht's the difference between these two adjectives?

credibility of the financial statements or creditability of the financial statements?

accepted as creditable by potential investors or credible by potential investors?

I would take a wild guess to suggest that the way I understand it a business plan or a factory can be "creditable", whereas such things as the financial statements or annual reports can be "credible"?

If something is credible it can be believed. If a financial report is credible, that just means it can be believed - it is the opposite of incredible. You can give someone credit for something in two (broad) senses: metaphorical ('Give me credit for a modicum of intelligence') or financial - believing they'll pay you back. Hence 'credit card' (where the word 'credit' implies a particular sort of belief).

If financiers judge that someone will pay his debts, the normal word used is 'credit-worthy'. In your second sentence, 'creditable' seems to be used to mean 'credit-worthy'. Maybe this is accountants' jargon, or Am. E ...:?:; colloquially - in Br E - people say 'credit-worthy' (or just 'good': 'Come on. Lend it to me. You know I'm good for a measly fiver'.

The word 'creditable' is more often used to mean estimable/decent/of some value...(very informally 'not to be sniffed at') - as in 'a creditable performance'.

b

 

[ostap77]

If something is credible it can be believed. If a financial report is credible, that just means it can be believed - it is the opposite of incredible. You can give someone credit for something in two (broad) senses: metaphorical ('Give me credit for a modicum of intelligence') or financial - believing they'll pay you back. Hence 'credit card' (where the word 'credit' implies a particular sort of belief).

If financiers judge that someone will pay his debts, the normal word used is 'credit-worthy'. In your second sentence, 'creditable' seems to be used to mean 'credit-worthy'. Maybe this is accountants' jargon, or Am. E ...:?:; colloquially - in Br E - people say 'credit-worthy' (or just 'good': 'Come on. Lend it to me. You know I'm good for a measly fiver'.

The word 'creditable' is more often used to mean estimable/decent/of some value...(very informally 'not to be sniffed at') - as in 'a creditable performance'.

b

If the bank gives money to a firm, can we say it's creditable?

 

[BobK]

As I said, 'creditable' may be financial jargon or some other variant*. In normal Br. English, banks lend to credit-worthy debtors.

b

PS *... and that usage may be beginning to be acceptable in Br English; I haven't heard it, but I'd understand it.

 

[ostap77]

As I said, 'creditable' may be financial jargon or some other variant*. In normal Br. English, banks lend to credit-worthy debtors.

b

PS *... and that usage may be beginning to be acceptable in Br English; I haven't heard it, but I'd understand it.

"The process of transition to a market economy is greatly facilitated by the developmet of a financial accounting system that in conjunction with a properly designed system of internal control, provides reliable financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles that are widely understood and accepted as creditable by potential investors an the international community."

That's why I've been asking so many questions. Why is "creditable" not "credible" or "reliable" used in this context?

 

[BobK]

Because it doesn't mean either credible or reliable - except in a very specific meaning of reliable - "OK to rely on to pay back a debt'. But, as I've said, most Br Eng speakers would use the word 'credit-worthy'. (Maybe a journalist was worried about word counts - it has bee known!)

b