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.
Imagine McNealy’s incredulity over buying SpaceX at 93 times.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
Ms. Hughes plays Ruth with a combative defensiveness, and not a little contempt, as she listens with incredulity to Jay’s obvious ignorance of the Troubles.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe previously voiced incredulity about Casemiro's £18.2m annual salary, and the 73-year-old has vowed to drive down costs.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
Ryan Tsui, whose brother and niece died in the sinking, previously said he followed the case with "incredulity" as he said witnesses dodged responsibility.
From Barron's ● Jan. 21, 2026
Lazlo watched the delegates’ reactions, and he could understand their incredulity, certainly, but there was a rather large inducement here to believe the unbelievable.
From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor
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.
