credulity

Borrowed from Old French credulité (French crédulité), from Latin crēdulitās.

• IPA^(key): /kɹɪˈdjuːlɪti/

credulity (countable and uncountable, plural credulities)

1. A willingness to believe in someone or something in the absence of reasonable proof; credulousness.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, The history of Tom Jones, Book 6,

     Do you think Mr. Allworthy hath more contempt for money than other men because he professes more? Such credulity would better become one of us weak women, than that wise sex which heaven hath formed for politicians. Indeed, brother, you would make a fine plenipo to negotiate with the French.

   • 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World, ch. 9,

     As Challenger spoke of his pterodactyl I glanced at Professor Summerlee, and for the first time I seemed to see some signs of a dawning credulity and repentance. There was no sneer upon his thin lips, but, on the contrary, a gray, drawn look of excitement and amazement. Challenger saw it, too, and reveled in the first taste of victory.

• gullibility

• incredulity

• incredulity
• miscredulity
• overcredulity

• credulity in An American Dictionary of the English Language, by Noah Webster, 1828.
• credulity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “credulity” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., 1989.