credenza

noun

cre·​den·​za kri-ˈden-zə 

1

: credence sense 3

2

: a sideboard, buffet, or bookcase patterned after a Renaissance credence

especially : one without legs

Illustration of credenza

• credenza 2

Did you know?

In Italian credenza means “belief” or “confidence,” and confidence is just what a member of a noble or royal household needed before eating in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Being poisoned by one’s enemies was an ever-present danger. As a result, it was customary for members of royal or noble families to have a servant taste their food and drink after it left the kitchen and before it was served. The tasting was done at a dining room sideboard, and the name of the sideboard became credenza in Italian.

Examples of credenza in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While the lobby areas and restaurants lean into the playful side of a contemporary art hotel, the rooms are more calming with neutral tones and the continuation of the lobby’s black marble in the credenzas and nightstands. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 June 2026

Other quirky details of the ’60s-era file credenza include a lock that can be opened and closed with a coin (a subtle nod to the fact that the company was originally a hardware and lock business). —Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 18 May 2026

Framed family photos and a black ceramic panther sit on the credenza. —Olivia Kan-Sperling, Artforum, 2 May 2026

Among other documents released was an image from Epstein’s home showing a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. —Collin Binkley, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, belief, confidence, from Medieval Latin credentia

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for credenza

• cadenza
• influenza
• parainfluenza