Vocabulary
C1
6 min read
Updated 15 June 2026
Quick Answer
Credence is the belief or acceptance you give to a claim; credibility is the quality that makes a person or claim believable.
Credence and credibility both come from the Latin credere (to believe), and both involve belief — but from opposite ends. Credence is the belief or acceptance that a listener gives to something: you give credence to a story. Credibility is the quality of being believable that a source or claim has: a witness has credibility. One is the trust you grant; the other is the trustworthiness on offer. You give credence to a claim because the claim, or its source, has credibility.
At a Glance: Credence vs Credibility
| Word | Part of Speech | Pronunciation | Core Meaning |
|---|
| credence |
noun |
/ˈkriːdns/ |
belief in or acceptance of something as true |
| credibility |
noun |
/ˌkredɪˈbɪləti/ |
the quality of being believable or trustworthy |
Using “Credence”
Credence is a noun for the belief or acceptance you grant to something. It appears most often in fixed phrases such as give credence to or lend credence to. It is uncountable and is something you bestow.
When to use it
- Belief granted: give credence to a rumour
- Support that strengthens belief: lend credence to
- Acceptance of a claim as true
- Something you grant, not possess
- Common phrase: gain credence
I would not give much credence to that rumour.
The new evidence lends credence to her account.
The theory gradually gained credence among experts.
He gave little credence to the gossip.
Their findings add credence to the original claim.
Using “Credibility”
Credibility is a noun for the quality of being believable, convincing, or trustworthy. A person, source, or argument has credibility. It can be built, damaged, or lost.
When to use it
- Trustworthiness: a witness with credibility
- Believability: the story lacks credibility
- A reputation for reliability
- Something a source possesses
- Can be 'gained', 'lost', or 'damaged'
The scandal destroyed his credibility overnight.
A reliable source has real credibility.
Her expertise gives the report credibility.
The far-fetched plot lacked all credibility.
Years of honesty built her credibility.
The Key Difference
Ask whether belief is given or possessed. Credence is the belief you give to something — you grant or lend credence to a claim. Credibility is the believability a source has — a witness possesses credibility. You give credence; you have credibility. A credible source (one with credibility) is more likely to be given credence.
Memory Tip
Credence is short, like the brief act of granting belief — you give credence. Credibility is longer, a lasting quality a source builds up over time — you have credibility. Give credence; have credibility.
Common Mistakes
The witness lost all his credence after the lie was exposed.
The witness lost all his credibility after the lie was exposed. (a quality you possess is credibility)
New data gives credibility to the old theory.
New data gives credence to the old theory. (belief you grant is credence)
Her years of accurate reporting earned her great credence.
Her years of accurate reporting earned her great credibility. (a trustworthy reputation is credibility)
Most scientists gave no credibility to the wild claim.
Most scientists gave no credence to the wild claim. (belief granted is credence)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between credence and credibility?
Credence is the belief or acceptance you give to something, as in give credence to a story. Credibility is the quality of being believable or trustworthy that a person, source, or claim has, as in the witness had credibility. Both come from the Latin credere, to believe, but credence is the trust you grant, while credibility is the trustworthiness on offer. In short, you give credence to a claim, and a source has credibility; a credible source is more likely to be given credence.
How do you use credence in a sentence?
Credence is usually used in fixed phrases such as give credence to, lend credence to, or gain credence, all meaning to believe or accept, or to support belief in, something. For example, the new evidence lends credence to her account, or the theory gradually gained credence. It is an uncountable noun and is something you bestow on a claim rather than a quality a person owns. You would not say a person has credence, but rather has credibility.
How do you use credibility in a sentence?
Credibility is the quality of being believable or trustworthy, and it is something a person, source, or argument has, gains, loses, or has damaged. For example, the scandal destroyed his credibility, or a reliable source has real credibility. It often pairs with verbs like build, undermine, or restore. So credibility describes a lasting reputation for trustworthiness, in contrast to credence, which is the act of granting belief to a particular claim.
Can you give credibility to something?
It is more accurate to say you give or lend credence to something, while a source has or gains credibility. However, in loose everyday usage people sometimes say something gives credibility to a claim, meaning it makes the claim more believable. Careful writers prefer give credence to a claim and reserve credibility for the quality a person or source possesses. So for the act of supporting belief, credence is the precise choice, and credibility is better for trustworthiness.
How do you pronounce credence and credibility?
Credence is pronounced /ˈkriːdns/, roughly KREE-dnss, with two syllables and the stress on the first, beginning with a long ee sound. Credibility is pronounced /ˌkredɪˈbɪləti/, roughly kred-ih-BIL-ih-tee, with five syllables and the main stress on bil, beginning with a short e. The two words share the cred root but differ greatly in length and rhythm, so they are easy to tell apart by ear, even though their meanings are related.
Do credence and credibility come from the same root?
Yes. Both derive from the Latin credere, meaning to believe, which also gives English words like credible, credit, and creed. Credence developed to mean the belief or acceptance granted to something, while credibility developed to mean the quality of being believable. So the shared root explains why both are about belief, but the words specialise differently: credence is the belief given, and credibility is the believability possessed. Knowing the common root helps link, then separate, the two.
Which word means trustworthiness?
Credibility is the word for trustworthiness or believability. It describes the quality that makes a person, source, or statement worth believing, as in the expert's credibility or the report lacks credibility. Credence does not mean trustworthiness; it means the belief or acceptance you grant to something. So if you want to describe how trustworthy or convincing someone or something is, credibility is the correct word, while credence describes the belief that trustworthiness can earn.
Can credibility be lost or damaged?
Yes. Credibility is a quality that can be built up over time and also undermined, damaged, lost, or restored. For example, a dishonest statement can destroy a politician's credibility, while years of accurate work can build a journalist's credibility. This is a key difference from credence: you do not lose credence, because credence is the belief you give to something, not a quality you own. So credibility behaves like a reputation, gained and lost.
Why are credence and credibility confused?
They are confused because both come from the same Latin root meaning to believe, both are abstract nouns about belief, and they appear in similar contexts of trust and evidence. The crucial difference is direction: credence is belief granted to a claim, while credibility is the believability a source possesses. Because the ideas are closely linked, writers sometimes swap them. Remembering that you give credence but have credibility keeps the two precise and distinct.
How can I remember which word to use?
Use a short phrase for each. You give credence, so picture handing your belief to a claim, as in lend credence to a story. You have credibility, so picture a quality built into a trustworthy source, as in the witness has credibility. If the sentence is about granting belief, choose credence; if it is about how believable or trustworthy someone or something is, choose credibility. Give credence, have credibility.
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