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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

• noncredence noun

Etymology

Origin of credence

1300–50; Middle English < Middle French credence < Medieval Latin crēdentia. See credent, -ence

Example Sentences

Whether a competitive showing is enough to give credence to talk of a mini Welsh revival remains to be seen.

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

Bernstein analyst Harshita Rawat said in a note that she wonders if Block’s move could lend credence to the “unemployment fears” that have “gripped markets” recently.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 27, 2026

“I would worry about something like that, and I’d worry about a bunch of these theories that she has getting wider credence in society,” Lurie said.

From Salon • Jan. 7, 2026

While terms of the deal weren’t made clear, the report lends credence to whispers of a possible sale that have followed the company for some time.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

Rumors surfaced that the series had been fixed, rumors that gained credence when just before the first game, the betting odds that had overwhelmingly favored the White Sox dropped to even.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler