credence
KREE-duhnss
/ˈkriː.dəns/
Belief in or acceptance of something as true.
Usually used in the context of giving or denying belief to rumors, theories, or claims.
The story behind the word. From the Medieval Latin 'credentia' (belief, trust), from Latin 'credere' (to believe). In medieval times, a 'credence table' was a side table where food was tasted for poison before being served to royalty—literally establishing its safety and 'believability'.
Word relationships
- belief: Belief is a broad mental state of acceptance, while credence is specifically the act of giving weight or validity to a statement or claim.
- credibility: Credibility is the quality of being believable, whereas credence is the actual belief or acceptance granted by someone else.
- skepticism: Skepticism is an attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity.
- disbelief: Disbelief is the refusal to accept that something is true or real.
Commonly confused with
- credentials: Credentials are documents or qualifications proving a person's background, while credence is the act of believing something.
Word family
- credible (adjective): Able to be believed; convincing.
- credulous (adjective): Too ready to believe things; gullible.
Collocations
- lend credence
- give credence
- gain credence
Idioms & expressions
- take at face value
Example sentences
- "The administration gave no credence to the wild conspiracy theories circulating online." Discussing the validity of a rumor.
- "It was years before the scientific community lent credence to his revolutionary ideas." From a historical analysis of scientific discoveries.
Memory hook
Credence sounds like 'creed' (a system of belief). Giving credence means you believe it. CREED-ence: A CREED is what you believe; giving CREDENCE is the act of believing.
When not to use
Do not use to mean 'trustworthiness' itself; it is the belief given by the observer, not the quality of the object.
Fun facts
- The famous American rock band 'Creedence Clearwater Revival' used a variation of this word, which they took from a friend's name, Credence Newball.
Related words
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