credence

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noun cre·dence \ ˈkrē-dᵊn(t)s \

Definition of credence

1 a :mental acceptance as true or real

give credence to gossip

b :credibility 1

lends credence to the theory

an idea that is gaining credence

2 :credentials —used in the phrase letters of credence

[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

See credence defined for English-language learners

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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 of credence from the Web

The latter development actually lent credence to Penn State’s status as a contender for the former in 2017.

— chris johnson, SI.com, "Penn State Has the Horses to Back Up the Hype Entering Its Big Ten Title Defense," 14 Aug. 2017
Why would the president voluntarily lend credence to that notion?

— callum borchers, Washington Post, "Trump’s itchy Twitter finger just triggered speculation about an indictment," 4 Aug. 2017
Even the most cynical reading of Scaramucci’s motives lends credence to this idea.

— tiana lowe, National Review, "‘The Mooch’ Could Be Exactly What We Need," 25 July 2017
The results of a new study from Rover.com, a site that connects dog owners with dog sitters, give credence to our never-ending obsession with taking pictures of our pooch.

— michelle profis, Country Living, "Dog Owners Take More Pictures of Their Pet Than Their Spouse, New Study Says," 20 July 2017
There’s no use lending heavy credence to the stat sheet or the scoreboard.

— jeremy woo, SI.com, "Why Summer League Matters To The Warriors," 16 July 2017
He was scorned for seeming to lend credence to the party’s propaganda.

— The Economist, "Obituary: Liu Xiaobo, China’s leading human-rights campaigner," 15 July 2017
Players and management believe there’s credence to the idea that, at least offensively, players will find their career levels by the end of the season.

— jon meoli, baltimoresun.com, "Five major questions the Orioles face coming out of the All-Star break," 13 July 2017
Texas A&M since hasn't been able to recreate the magic of that 11-2 season lending some credence to Byrne's initial concerns.

— john talty, AL.com, "The 5-year impact of Texas A&M, Missouri joining the SEC," 9 July 2017

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.

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.

Origin and Etymology of credence

Middle English, from Anglo-French or Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, from Medieval Latin credentia, from Latin credent-, credens, present participle of credere to believe, trust — more at creed

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First Known Use: 14th century

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