credence

Belief that a claim or idea is true.

• Few people gave the story credence.
• The photographs lent credence to his account.
• Does this theory deserve any credence?

How to use it: give credence to something (I give little credence to those rumours.); lend credence to something (The new evidence lends credence to her claim.)

Similar words: belief, trust

Opposites: disbelief

Common phrases: give credence to, lend credence to, gain credence

A small table in a church for holding things used during a religious service.

• The chalice stood on the credence.
• She covered the credence with white linen.
• The priest took a vessel from the credence beside the altar.

Similar words: credence table

Common phrases: credence table, altar credence

A cupboard or table with shelves for displaying valuable dishes and drinking vessels.

• Silver cups filled the credence.
• An oak credence stood against the dining room wall.
• The antique credence displayed the family’s finest plates.

Similar words: sideboard, cabinet, credenza

Common phrases: carved credence, oak credence

A number expressing how likely someone thinks a statement is to be true.

• My credence in that claim is low.
• She assigned a credence of 0.7 to the hypothesis.
• New evidence changed their credences in several competing theories.

How to use it: credence in something (Her credence in the claim rose to eighty percent.)

Similar words: subjective probability, degree of belief

Common phrases: credence in something, assign a credence