credence

noun

cre·dence | \ ˈkrē-dᵊn(t)s

Definition of credence

1a : mental acceptance as true or real give credence to gossip

b : credibility sense 1 lends credence to the theory an idea that is gaining credence

2 : credentials —used in the phrase letters of credence

3 [ Middle French, from Old Italian credenza ] : a Renaissance sideboard used chiefly for valuable plate

4 : a small table where the bread and wine rest before consecration

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym What Is The Difference Between credence and belief? More Example Sentences Learn More about credence

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Synonyms & Antonyms for credence

Synonyms

confidence, faith, stock, trust

Antonyms

distrust, mistrust

Choose the Right Synonym for credence

belief, faith, credence, credit mean assent to the truth of something offered for acceptance. belief may or may not imply certitude in the believer. my belief that I had caught all the errors faith almost always implies certitude even where there is no evidence or proof. an unshakable faith in God credence suggests intellectual assent without implying anything about grounds for assent. a theory now given credence by scientists credit may imply assent on grounds other than direct proof. gave full credit to the statement of a reputable witness

What Is The Difference Between credence and belief?

Credence is close in meaning to belief, but there are differences. Unlike belief, credence is seldom used in connection with faith in a religion or philosophy. Instead credence is often used in reference to reports, rumors, and opinions. And, unlike belief, it tends to be used with the words give, lack, lend,and gain. So a new piece of evidence may lend credence to the alibi of a criminal suspect. Claims that a political candidate can become the next President gain credence only after the candidate wins a few primaries. And although stories about Elvis sightings persist, they lack credence for most people.

Examples of credence in a Sentence

The theory is gaining credence among scientists. I'm afraid I don't put much credence in common gossip.

Recent Examples on the Web

The blinding pace of innovation lent credence to the belief that Pan Am could very well deliver on its futurist promises. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "When Pan Am Promised To Fly Us To the Moon," 28 Feb. 2019 At an open House Intelligence Committee hearing on March 20, 2017, Mr. Schiff stated as fact numerous crazy accusations from the infamous Steele dossier—giving them early currency and credence. — Kimberley A. Strassel, WSJ, "Schiffting to Phase 2 of Collusion," 21 Feb. 2019 How much credence should the rest of the world put in Dai’s statements? — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "A Chinese Military Official Suggests Ramming U.S. Warships in the South China Sea," 10 Dec. 2018 Many viewers were outraged and triggered, calling out the Kardashian-Jenners for giving credence to societal beauty standards as well as for joking about the decidedly unfunny topic of disordered eating. — Andrea Park, Allure, "Kim Kardashian's Controversial "Skinny" Posts Are Receiving Plenty of Celebrity Backlash," 1 Aug. 2018 The other denials have gained no credence in the media. — Jonathan Chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Will Trump Be Meeting With His Counterpart — Or His Handler?," 8 July 2018 This argument gained more credence this week when the new Baker Hughes had its worst-ever one-day stock performance, dropping 6.5% on a day when peer Schlumberger saw a small gain and Halliburton a 2% loss. — Spencer Jakab, WSJ, "GE Should Hang On to Baker Hughes," 6 June 2018 Succeed, and the whispers of 2021 being the Royals’ next competitive season — when prospects Nick Pratto, MJ Melendez, Seuly Matias, Khalil Lee and myriad others are estimated to arrive in the major leagues — might gain some credence. — Maria Torres, kansascity, "Royals have five of the top 60 picks in MLB draft that starts Monday," 2 June 2018 The video appears to lend credence to Ukrainian claims that Russian ships were trying to provoke an incident, as the Don appears to deliberately turn toward the smaller ship moments before collision. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Russia Seizes Three Ukrainian Warships in Border Incident," 26 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'credence.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.