cre ‧ dence /ˈkriːd ə ns/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: Medieval Latin credentia , from Latin credere 'to believe, trust, give to someone to keep safe' ]
formal the acceptance of something as true
give credence to something (=to believe or accept something as true)
I don’t give any credence to these rumors.
gain credence (=to become more widely accepted or believed)
His ideas quickly gained credence among economists.
lend credence to something (=to make something more believable)
The DNA results lend credence to Hausmann’s claims of innocence.