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.

---

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

---

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

The layoffs also lend credence to a growing public perception that AI isn’t a panacea but a job killer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

That helps lend credence to Krinsky’s description of how parabolic rallies end.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 23, 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

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

And can it now be said: we accord credence in this way because it has proved to pay?

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton