incredulity
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of incredulity
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English incredulite, from Latin incrēdulitās; see incredulous, -ity
Explanation
Incredulity is the state of not believing. I greeted the stranger's story about needing bus fare with incredulity. "I just don't believe you," I said. "The bit about your diabetic cat was a little over the top." In Latin, credere means "to believe." You'll see it at the roots of creed "statement of belief," credible "believable," credulous "a person who readily believes," and incredulous "a person who doesn't."
Vocabulary lists containing incredulity
A Raisin in the Sun
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Believe It or Not: Cred
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1984
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Many investors will react with incredulity, pointing to Japan as Exhibit A of why demography is destiny.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 11, 2026
I watched crowds of first-time voters dancing through Budapest's backstreets, drunk with a heady mix of hope and incredulity in the early hours of Monday morning.
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
In a further appearance in front of MPs the same year, Brittin was met with incredulity when he told them he didn't know how much he got paid.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
Marina de Cudeyo mayor Pedro Perez said there was "indignation, incredulity and sadness" after the apparent robbery of the statue.
From Barron's ● Jan. 20, 2026
Arturo stared at me with such incredulity it was almost horror.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
