What does plausible deniability mean?
Definitions for plausible deniability
plau·si·ble deni·a·bil·i·ty
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word plausible deniability.
Wiktionary
plausible deniabilitynoun
The organization of a clandestine military operation in such a way that knowledge of its existence may be denied by those in authority
Wikidata
Plausible deniability
Plausible deniability is a term coined by the CIA during the Kennedy administration to describe the withholding of information from senior officials in order to protect them from repercussions in the event that illegal or unpopular activities by the CIA became public knowledge. The term most often refers to the denial of blame in chains of command, where senior figures assign responsibility to the lower ranks, and records of instructions given do not exist or are inaccessible, meaning independent confirmation of responsibility for the action is nearly impossible. In the case that illegal or otherwise disreputable and unpopular activities become public, high-ranking officials may deny any awareness of such act or any connection to the agents used to carry out such acts. The lack of evidence to the contrary ostensibly makes the denial plausible, that is, credible. The term typically implies forethought, such as intentionally setting up the conditions to plausibly avoid responsibility for one's actions or knowledge. In politics and espionage, deniability refers to the ability of a "powerful player" or intelligence agency to avoid "blowback" by secretly arranging for an action to be taken on their behalf by a third party ostensibly unconnected with the major player. In political campaigns, plausible deniability enables candidates to stay "clean" and denounce third-party advertisements that use unethical approaches or potentially libellous innuendo.
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of plausible deniability in Chaldean Numerology is: 6
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of plausible deniability in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9
Examples of plausible deniability in a Sentence
Plausible deniability has always been central to post-revolutionary Iran's strategic calculation.
He is giving himself a lot of plausible deniability, he’s hinting to the more radical elements not to attack the deal too aggressively but he’s also not telling them not to attack it. He’s keeping his options open.
After that foothold is established, the malicious code, the real hackers get to work and grow out from there. Russian President Vladimir Putin's government denies direct involvement, but Russian intelligence is thought to routinely use cyber gangs to do its bidding and to create plausible deniability. Within the former Soviet bloc, Russian-speaking hackers pay homage as cyber-militia members to the regime in Russia, they act as proxies … when called upon to leverage their sophisticatedtool sets and attack against victims in the U.S.
They do that to maintain plausible deniability, what Putin wants is to establish what we call the 'balance of power,'.
They want a degree of plausible deniability, if they were to criminally detain Li Wenzu, they would eventually have to justify it in law.
Translations for plausible deniability
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- سياسة الإنكارArabic
- plausible deniabilityGerman
- kredinda neadoEsperanto
- negación plausibleSpanish
- انکار قابل قبولPersian
- déni plausibleFrench
- in-inchreidteacht sochreidteIrish
- negazione plausibileItalian
- הכחשה מתקבלת על הדעתHebrew
- もっともらしい否認Japanese
- ತೋರಿಕೆಯ ನಿರಾಕರಣೆKannada
- sannsynlig fornektelseNorwegian
- wiarygodne zaprzeczeniePolish
- negação plausívelPortuguese
- правдоподобное отрицаниеRussian
- قابل قبول ردعملUrdu
- גלייבלעך אָפּלייקענונגYiddish
- 合理的否定性Chinese
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"plausible deniability." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 7 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/plausible+deniability>.
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