credence

/ˈkriːdns/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkriːdns/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkrē-dᵊn(t)s/ (ame, mw)

credence — noun

1. the mental act of accepting something as true, especially when there are reasons

1.名詞C1
釋義

the mental act of accepting something as true, especially when there are reasons to doubt or when the information has not been fully proven — for example, choosing to believe a witness's account even though other versions exist.

例句

Amina refused to give credence to the rumor about the company moving overseas.

give credence to + rumor (often used in negative constructions)

Dr. Okafor's carbon-dating data lend credence to the theory that an eighth-century earthquake destroyed the port of Tyre.

lend credence to + theory / claim

同義詞
  • belief

    more common and less formal; 'belief' can be personal and emotional, while 'credence' implies a more deliberate, evaluative acceptance

  • acceptance

    broader in meaning; 'acceptance' can mean agreeing to a situation, whereas 'credence' is specifically about truth

  • trust

    focuses on confidence in a person rather than a claim; 'credence' is about a statement or idea, not a person

反義詞
  • disbelief

    direct opposite — the refusal to accept something as true

  • skepticism

    a questioning attitude rather than outright rejection; milder than disbelief

文法句型

give credence to + noun phrase

lend credence to + noun phrase

用法筆記

Frequently appears in negated or limited contexts — 'refuse to give credence to', 'give no credence to', 'few gave credence to'. The positive use ('I give credence to his explanation') is rarer and more formal.

常見錯誤

❌I give credence on his story.
✅I give credence to his story.
💡the preposition is always 'to', never 'on' or 'of'.
❌The police gave credence for the alibi.
✅The police gave credence to the alibi.
💡'credence' takes 'to', not 'for'.

2. the quality of a story, idea, or explanation that makes it seem true and worth a

2.名詞C1
釋義

the quality of a story, idea, or explanation that makes it seem true and worth accepting — for example, a claim backed by photographs and witness statements has credence, while an unsupported rumor does not.

例句

Tomas's account of the hit-and-run lacked credence because he first called the car blue and later called it red.

lack credence — subject is the claim/story itself

Ingrid's theory gained credence after three separate studies confirmed her results.

gain credence — used when evidence increases believability

同義詞
  • credibility

    almost interchangeable, but 'credibility' often includes trustworthiness of the source; 'credence' focuses on the claim itself

  • plausibility

    narrower — specifically about whether something could be true, not whether it is accepted as true

  • believability

    more informal and less common in academic writing; 'credence' is the preferred formal term

反義詞

文法句型

have credence

lack credence

gain credence

lose credence

用法筆記

Unlike sense 1 (which focuses on the act of believing), this sense describes a property of the claim itself. You can say 'the story has credence' (it is believable) but not 'I have credence in the story' — for personal belief, use sense 1 + 'give credence to'.

常見錯誤

❌I have credence in his theory.
✅I give credence to his theory.
💡use 'give/lend credence to' for the act of believing, not 'have credence in'.
❌The theory is credence.
✅The theory has credence.' or 'The theory is credible.
💡'credence' is a noun, not an adjective.