credence
/ˈkriːd(ə)ns
/noun
1 [mass noun] Belief in or acceptance of something as true: psychoanalysis finds little credence among laymen...
- That's a problem, because the credentials of professionals lend credence to their beliefs, however outrageous.
- Because Bahamian society is small, insular and closed, it is possible for certain ideas to circulate, gain credence and become accepted as fact.
- But seriously, there is credence in the belief that we fear what we do not know.
Synonyms
acceptance, belief, faith, trust, confidence, reliance, traction
1.1The likelihood of something being true; plausibility: being called upon by the media as an expert lends credence to one’s opinions...
- The very fact that I visit this site and read these articles lends credence to the assumption that I do find useful and true ideas here.
- It almost lends credence to the prosecution's case.
- The record of systemic abuse of the program lends credence to claims that the oil-ministry list is genuine and should be investigated.
Synonyms
credibility, credit, reliability, plausibility, believability
2 [usually as modifier] A small side table, shelf, or niche in a church for holding the elements of the Eucharist before they are consecrated: a credence table...
- I took the finger towel and glass cruets of water and wine to the credence table at the right of the altar and put out the bell on the step where I would be kneeling at the consecration.
Origin
Middle English: via Old French from medieval Latin credentia, from Latin credent- 'believing', from the verb credere.
Rhymes
- polar body
- polar cap
- polarchy
- polar circle
- polar coordinates
- polar curve
- polar diagram
- polar dial
- polar diameter
- polar distance
- polar equation
- polar flattening
- steak
- steak au poivre
- steak Diane
- steak fry
- steakhouse
- steak knife
- steak tartare
- steal
- stealable
- steal a march on
- stealer
- steal (or hog) the limelight
- steal someone blind