Definition of CREDENCE

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 But some not supporting his campaign have lent credence to the concerns. — Joseph Simonson, Washington Examiner, "Trump campaign and Sanders supporters question Biden mental state," 9 Mar. 2020 Their endorsements going into Super Tuesday lends credence to an argument Biden articulated to CBS News' Caitlin Huey-Burns in an interview Monday. — CBS News, "What you need to know about Super Tuesday primary elections," 3 Mar. 2020 The collective wisdom of patients is one the medical community should lend more credence. — Jennifer Adaeze Okwerekwu, STAT, "When the hoofbeats really are a zebra’s, a patient community helps me navigate a new rare-disease reality," 2 Mar. 2020 This story lends credence to our earlier speculation that the new WRX and WRX STI would use a version of Subaru's FA24 turbocharged 2.4-liter boxer-four currently installed in the Ascent, Outback, and Legacy. — Joey Capparella, Car and Driver, "2022 Subaru WRX STI: What We Know So Far," 27 Feb. 2020 That the black artist might be following their own nose—pursuing their own preoccupations and obsessions—is here given no credence. — Zadie Smith, The New York Review of Books, "What Do We Want History to Do to Us?," 11 Feb. 2020 Researchers at the University of Miami discover the tongue has special receptors for glutamate, lending credence to the concept of umami as a fifth basic taste. — Elizabeth G. Dunn, WSJ, "From MSG Scare to MVP Status: How We Learned to Love Umami," 30 Jan. 2020 Just like most things Heckler & Koch, Europe received the optics-ready VP9 before North America did, lending credence to the internet joke that HK hates us. — Chris Mudgett, Outdoor Life, "The Best New Pistols at SHOT Show 2020," 28 Jan. 2020 For Memphis, a victory – without former five-star recruit James Wiseman, who elected to leave the program to prepare for the NBA – would enhance credence that the youngest roster in college basketball is maturing. — Fletcher Page, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati basketball and No. 22 Memphis meet with validation on the line," 16 Jan. 2020

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.