Basic Details
Word: Credence
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Belief that something is true, or acceptance of it as true.
Synonyms: belief, trust, faith, acceptance
Antonyms: disbelief, doubt, distrust
How to Spell Credence
Syllables: cre - dence
Tricky part: The ending is -ence, not -ance or -ense, and the first syllable sounds like the cree of creed but is spelt cre, with a single e.
Watch out for: credance, credense, credince
Memory tip: Cred means believe, as in credit and credible. Finish it like evidence, because evidence is what gives credence.
Idioms and Phrases
- lend credence to: make something seem more likely to be true. Example: "The muddy footprints lent credence to Arav's story about a visitor at night."
Usage Examples
Example 1: Nobody gave any credence to the rumour about free laptops.
Example 2: The doctor's report gives credence to her claim of illness.
Example 3: Her calm manner gave credence to her version of events.
Fun Fact
In some churches a credence, or credence table, is a small side table that holds the bread and wine before they are used in a service.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
cr_d_nce
a) i, e
b) e, a
c) a, e
d) e, e
Show answer
d) e, e. Both gaps take e: cred as in credit, and -ence as in evidence.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word credence as used in the sentence:
The scientists gave little credence to the claim that the comet would strike the Earth.
a) belief
b) sympathy
c) patience
d) applause
Show answer
a) belief. To give little credence to a claim is to put little belief in it.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Several geologists now give enecdcre to the theory that the lake was once part of a river.
a) credible
b) credence
c) clemency
d) cadence
Show answer
b) credence. Cadence lacks an r and the other two have letters such as m, y, b and l that the jumble does not contain.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A story that 'gains credence' is one that ____.
a) more people start to believe
b) is printed in colour
c) becomes much longer
d) fewer people want to hear
Show answer
a) more people start to believe
2. Which sentence uses credence correctly?
a) He credence the answer on the board.
b) The credence of the room was blue.
c) She poured credence into the glass.
d) The police gave no credence to the anonymous call.
Show answer
d) The police gave no credence to the anonymous call.
