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

Example Sentences

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

In a concurring opinion, Gorsuch stated the stakes more plainly by posing a rhetorical question: If the president’s argument was given credence, then “what do we make of the Constitution’s text?”

From Salon • Feb. 21, 2026

“The latest figures suggest firms are successfully doing more with less labor, giving more credence to a jobless expansion,” writes Matthew Martin, senior economist at Oxford Economics.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

That thought, nine months later, hadn’t been given much serious credence at USC through a solid 7-2 start.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2025

I gave no credence to the ideology of Garveyism; it was, rather, the emotional dynamics of its adherents that evoked my admiration.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright