Words / C1

KREEDNS/ˈkriːdns/

Credence is belief that a claim is true: give / lend credence to a rumour. Credibility (already in the dictionary) is how believable a person or source is; credence is what you grant the claim. Credulous is too ready to believe. Evidence is stronger than credence. Do not write “the credence of the witness” when you mean credibility.

Meaning

Belief that something is true (give / lend credence to).

Examples

• “The leaked emails lent credence to the rumours.”
• “The leaked emails lent credence to what staff had been saying for months.”
• “A single anecdote should not give credence to a nationwide claim.”

Good to know

give/lend credence to + claim. Mix-up: credibility (of a person/source). Too ready to believe: credulous.

Near in meaning

belief

New