discreditorn.
/dɪˈskrɛdᵻtə/, U.S. /dɪˈskrɛdədər/ A person who discredits or undermines confidence in a person or thing. Also occasionally: a person who does not give credence to something, a disbeliever.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > lack of confidence, distrust, suspicion > [noun] > one who distrusts or suspects > and destroys confidence
discreditor1563
1563 J. Foxe Actes & Monuments 1088/1 In al his behauior a discreditor & slanderer of his vocation.
1654 W. Montagu Miscellanea Spiritualia: 2nd Pt. ii. 50 This course, which the Wise man reproaches in the licentious discreditors of future accompts.
1765 J. Brown Christian Jrnl. 22 A faithless discreditor of the gospel-report concerning Jesus.
1830 H. Thomas City of London I. 387 The followers of Wickliffe, and other discreditors of the superstitions and absurdities of Roman catholicism.
1868 Brit. Med. Jrnl. 23 Mar. 308/2 Does not..science, so often falsely reviled as enemy and discreditor of revelation, here step in and in a most surprising way second its assertions?
1941 Economist 8 Nov. 557/1 Industrial disputes..have been common enough in the colonies in recent years to give some argument to the discreditors of British imperialism.
1964 PMLA 79 82/1 The discreditors of Wagner exploited Nietzsche's madness by using the libelous El caso Wagner to damage the composer's reputation.
2005 C. Preston Thomas Browne iv. 141 By a cagey rhetorical sleight-of-hand he manages to introduce the Brutus story in great detail while citing neutrally all its learned discreditors.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2013; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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