/ ˈkriːdns; NAmE / noun [ U ] ( formal )
1.
a quality that an idea or a story has that makes you believe it is true :
Historical evidence lends credence to his theory.
2.
belief in sth as true :
They could give no credence to the findings of the survey.
Alternative medicine has been gaining credence (= becoming more widely accepted) recently.
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : via Old French from medieval Latin credentia , from Latin credent- believing, from the verb credere .