credence

American  

[kreed-ns] / ˈkrid ns /

noun

1. belief as to the truth of something.

   to give credence to a claim.

   Synonyms:

   confidence, faith, credit

2. something giving a claim to belief or confidence.

   letter of credence.

3. Also called credenza.  Also called credence table,.  Ecclesiastical. a small side table, shelf, or niche for holding articles used in the Eucharist service.

4. Furniture. credenza.

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credence British  

/ ˈkriːdəns /

noun

1. acceptance or belief, esp with regard to the truth of the evidence of others

   I cannot give credence to his account

2. something supporting a claim to belief; recommendation; credential (esp in the phrase letters of credence )

3. short for credence table

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Other Word Forms

• noncredence
  noun

Etymology

Origin of credence

1300–50; Middle English < Middle French credence < Medieval Latin crēdentia. See credent, -ence

Explanation

Credence means truthfulness, or believability. A video of a funnel cloud entering Central Park would give credence to rumors of a tornado in Manhattan. Generally, credence is given to an idea or topic by something else. You'll see it often coming after words like lend, give, and impart. When something is given credence, it is made more believable. But it can also be used like this: Mary talked a lot about the poltergeist in her house. To most, her story had little credence, but I like a good ghost story, and so, decided to believe.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

credence

Erkılıç says she doesn’t give much credence to the AI versus humanity panic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026

He describes both men as “generational” talents, but Mr. Niemann, for all his gifts, has a past sufficiently checkered to give credence to Mr. Carlsen’s allegations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 3, 2026

That theory gained credence over a decade ago when a workman from the building site contacted Donna after she made an appeal in a local newspaper.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

Bernstein analyst Harshita Rawat said in a note that she wonders if Block’s move could lend credence to the “unemployment fears” that have “gripped markets” recently.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 27, 2026

The intimacy of it, the comfort of other voices giving credence to their private myths, prepared them to meet their wives with less distance than they might otherwise bring home after fishing.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson