credibility gap(redirected from credibility gaps)
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The discrepancy between the lofty promises that a person makes and the resulting action or situation. The politician suffered a credibility gap regarding his claims about the economy's improvement because his
credibility gap(redirected from credibility gaps)
Also found in: Dictionary.
The discrepancy between the lofty promises that a person makes and the resulting action or situation. The politician suffered a credibility gap regarding his claims about the economy's improvement because his constituents were still unable to find work.
Distrust of a public statement or position, as in The current credibility gap at City Hall is the result of miscommunication between the mayor's office and the press. This term originated about 1960 in connection with the American public's disinclination to believe government statements about the Vietnam War. It soon was extended to individuals and corporations as well as government agencies to express a lack of confidence in the truth of their statements, or perception of a discrepancy between words and actions.