credulencen.
/ˈkrɛdjᵿləns/, /ˈkrɛdjᵿln̩s/, /ˈkrɛdʒᵿləns/, /ˈkrɛdʒᵿln̩s/, /ˈkrɛdʒl̩(ə)ns/, U.S. /ˈkrɛdʒələns/ Somewhat rare.
Ready belief; credulity.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > belief, trust, confidence > over-readiness to believe, credulity > [noun]
overtrowingc1425
overtrowtha1500
overtrowshipa1525
credulity1547
tickle credit1563
credulency1586
credulousness1598
overcredulityc1625
credulence1650
sequaciousness1653
ultrafidianism1825
nasoductilitya1834
camel-swallowing1858
acceptativeness1870
leadableness1885
1650 T. Bayly Herba Parietis 42 Sullie not a princes name, By too much credulence to fame.
1797 G. Walker Cinthelia III. vii. 130 She regretted her easy credulence of his pretensions.
1834 Museum Foreign Lit. May 497/2 He is often thwarted by the venality and rapacity of his subordinates, and by the credulence of his people.
1854 Leisure Hour 20 July 455/2 The English parliament found fault with their ambassador for too great credulence in the word of the Russian potentate.
1921 W. W. Kenilworth Pract. Occultism 269 We must..discern the fact though it may be ever so burdened by the rubbish of credulence and superstition.
2005 Fairbanks (Alaska) Daily News-Miner (Nexis) 3 Jan. I know I don't have the time or the credulence for phone surveys at all.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1650