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 Hawley’s move puts many other Republicans in the difficult position of having to buck Trump and risk the ire of his coalition, or back him and lend credence to the notion that the election is illegitimate. — Gregory Korte, BostonGlobe.com, "GOP senators keep distance from Hawley’s electoral challenge," 31 Dec. 2020 The Warnock campaign's answer: Loeffler's ad gives no credence to the role Black pastors have played in advocating for civil, human and political rights. — NBC News, "For Black pastors, calling out racism is standard. It's become a weapon for Warnock's opponent.," 14 Dec. 2020 But the responses feel genuine and are littered with just enough typos to lend credence to the idea that they were hammered out by a person between meetings, rather than an employee who would be risking their job by making the boss look bad. — David Waldstein, New York Times, "Is the New Owner of the Mets Funny? An Investigation," 1 Nov. 2020 Its success gives credence to voices calling for greater Latino representation in big budget films, sappy Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel and everything in between. — Elaine Ayala, ExpressNews.com, "Ayala: ‘Selena: The Series,’ though far from perfect, counters stereotypes and tells an authentic Mexican American story," 15 Dec. 2020 His explanation was generally not well received, with many noting that the religious leader should not have given credence to the reality television flap. — Stephanie Toone, ajc, "Jamal Bryant says he won’t appear on ‘Real Housewives’ again after infidelity accusations," 17 Dec. 2020 The results of a federal lease auction in California last week — which generated a mere $46,000 — lend credence to the bad timing of the current moment. — Timothy Fitzergald, National Review, "Alaskan Oil Leases: Better Late than Never," 17 Dec. 2020 Trump and his supporters have filed a series of lawsuits in battleground states around the country and in Michigan, where no judge has given credence to any of the claims. — Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan Court of Appeals rejects another Trump lawsuit over Michigan election," 4 Dec. 2020 This gender and racial/ethnic diversity will likely result in better decision-making and lend greater credence to the task force’s decisions and recommendations. — Catherine Lynne Troisi, The Conversation, "President-elect Biden’s new COVID-19 task force gives the US a fresh chance to turn around a public health disaster," 13 Nov. 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.