credence
UK: ˈkriːd(ə)ns | US: ˈkriːd(ə)ns
n. belief in or acceptance of something as true
n. the likelihood of something being true; plausibility
n. (historical) a small side table for holding sacramental elements in Christian rituals
credence = cred<believe> + ence<noun suffix>
- cred (from Latin credere, meaning "to believe")
- ence (noun-forming suffix indicating state or quality, from Latin -entia)
Etymology Origin:
The word "credence" traces back to the Latin credentia, meaning "belief" or "trust," derived from credere ("to believe"). It entered Middle English via Old French credence, initially referring to trust or belief in a general sense. Over time, it specialized to denote acceptance of truth (e.g., "give credence to a theory") and historically referred to a table for sacramental items, symbolizing faith in religious contexts. The morpheme cred appears in related words like "credit," "credible," and "creed," all revolving around the core idea of belief.
The scientist’s findings lent credence to the new theory.
I don’t give much credence to rumors without evidence.
The medieval church displayed the Eucharist on a credence table.
Her testimony added credence to the defendant’s alibi.
The lack of data undermines the credence of their argument.