credulosity
English
editEtymology
editFrom credulous + -ity on the model of formations such as curiosity.
Pronunciation
edit- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌkɹɛd͡ʒəˈlɒsɪti/, /ˌkɹɛd͡ʒʊˈlɒsɪti/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˌkɹɛd͡ʒəˈlɑsɪti/
Noun
editcredulosity (uncountable)
- (uncommon) credulity, credulousness, gullibility
- 1873, William Thomas Thornton, “Recent Phases of Scientific Atheism”, in Old-Fashioned Ethics and Common-Sense Metaphysics: With Some of Their Applications[1], London: Macmillan and Co., page 237:
- But what adequate superlative shall we invent to express the credulity, the credulosity run mad, of those who, in a matter of scientific belief, deliberately accept such odds.
- 1914 April, “Editorial Comment”, in Work With Boys: A Magazine of Methods[2], volume XIV, number 4, Reading, Pa.: William McCormick, page 127:
- […] here the Friendly Visitor must proceed with due caution and proper consideration of the credulosity of her interviewee— take a shower bath at the club nearly every night, with out any deadly results up to date
- 2018 May, John Grant, “Introduction”, in Corrupted Science[3], revised and expanded edition, Tucson, AZ: See Sharp Press, →ISBN, page 6:
- […] further, since those members of the audience who perceive the lie will soon go elsewhere for their information, the “credulosity quotient” of the remaining audience tends to rise.
Usage notes
edit- This term is hardly found before the beginning of the 21st century.