credulity

English

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English credulite (“faith, belief”), borrowed from Middle French credulité (French crédulité), from Latin crēdulitās. Corresponding to credulous +‎ -ity (compare credulosity).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kɹɪˈd͡ʒuːlɪti/, /kɹɪˈdjuːlɪti/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kɹɪˈduːlɪti/, /kɹɪˈdjuːlɪti/

• Audio (Mid-Atlantic)

  (file)

Noun

credulity (countable and uncountable, plural credulities)

1. A willingness to believe in someone or something in the absence of reasonable proof; credulousness.

   Synonyms: credulosity (uncommon), credulousness, gullibility

2. (now nonstandard) Faith, credence; acceptance or maintenance of a belief.

   Synonyms: belief, faith, credence

   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling, volumes (please specify |volume=I to VI), London: A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, book 6:

     Do you think Mr. Allworthy hath more contempt for money than other men because he professes more? Such credulity would better become one of us weak women, than that wise sex which heaven hath formed for politicians. Indeed, brother, you would make a fine plenipo to negotiate with the French.

   • 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, chapter 9, in The Lost World […], London, New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:

     As Challenger spoke of his pterodactyl I glanced at Professor Summerlee, and for the first time I seemed to see some signs of a dawning credulity and repentance. There was no sneer upon his thin lips, but, on the contrary, a gray, drawn look of excitement and amazement. Challenger saw it, too, and reveled in the first taste of victory.

Antonyms

• incredulity

Derived terms

• incredulity
• miscredulity
• overcredulity

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱerd-‎ (0 c, 37 e)

Translations

credence, belief — see credence

credulousness, gullibility — see gullibility

References

• credulity in An American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster, 1828.
• “credulity”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “credulity”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.
• James A. H. Murray [et al.], editors (1884–1928), “Credulity”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume II (C), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 1157, column 1.