credulity

noun

cre·​du·​li·​ty kri-ˈdü-lə-tē How to pronounce credulity (audio)
-ˈdyü-
Synonyms of credulity
: readiness or willingness to believe especially on slight or uncertain evidence
Her description of the event strains credulity.

Synonyms of credulity

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of credulity in a Sentence

the quack pushing the phony medicine was taking advantage of the credulity of people hoping for miracle cures
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Box Elder is all of that, multiplied to a scale that strains credulity. — Michael Posner, Forbes.com, 9 June 2026 Forgive the sarcasm, but this season broke my credulity meter months ago. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 13 Apr. 2026 Cape Fear strains credulity a little by making Natalie too easy a mark. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 19 June 2026 These kinds of leaks inevitably inspire breathless credulity on one side and cynical takes about the endless, investment-seeking hype cycle on the other. — Julia Black, Vanity Fair, 31 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for credulity

Word History

Etymology

see credulous

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of credulity was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing credulity

Rhymes for credulity

See All Rhymes for credulity

Browse Nearby Words

credo ut intelligam
credulity
credulous
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Credulity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/credulity. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

credulity

noun
cre·​du·​li·​ty kri-ˈd(y)ü-lət-ē How to pronounce credulity (audio)
: a willingness to believe statements especially on little or no evidence

More from Merriam-Webster on credulity

Nglish: Translation of credulity for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All