▪ I. credence, n.
(ˈkriːdəns)
Forms: 4– credence; also 4–5 credance, 5 -aunce, -ans, 5–6 -ens(e, (6 credennce, creddence, -ens).
[a. F. crédence or ad. med.L. crēdentia believing, belief, f. crēdĕre to believe, etc.: see -ence.]
1. The mental action of believing or accepting as true; belief. to give credence to: to accept (a statement, etc.), or accept the statement of (a person, etc.), as true; to believe, credit.
| 1382–8 Wyclif Isa. Prol. 226 To ȝyue credence to goodis bihiȝt. 1430 Paston Lett. No. 14 I. 30 My clerke, to wham I prey yow to gyue feith and credence touchant this matier. 1529 Rastell Pastyme Brit. (1811) 109 A man of lyght credence beleuyng euery furst tale. 1612 T. Taylor Comm. Titus iii. 2 Thou maist not giue credence to so slender a testimony. 1654 Whitlock Zootomia 436 A new printed Bill of a famous Physitian..shall gain more Credence than the most learned Lecture. 1786 Burke W. Hastings Wks. 1842 II. 204 Instructions, to which it seems credence was to be given. 1879 Dixon Windsor II. v. 46 Charles had given him credence as a man of truth. |
b. That which is believed; a belief.
| 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles v. xvii, Grey-hair'd eld A superstitious credence held. 1856 Dove Logic Chr. Faith i. i. 36 The strife and conflict of opposite credences. |
† 2. Trust, faith, confidence in, reliance on (a person or authority). Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. I. 249 He may best a man beguile In whom the man hath most credence. 1491 Caxton Vitas Patr. (W. de W. 1495) i. viii. 13 a/1 We haue credence in God. 1548 Hall Chron. 242 Who soner deceiveth then he to whom moste credence is attributed? |
† 3. The condition of being worthy, or of being held worthy, of confidence; trustworthiness; credit, repute. Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. II. 99 That swevens ben of no credence. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xxxiii. 150 Wyse men and men of credence of þase cuntreez. 1487 Act 4 Hen. VII, c. 12 §2 They shall not be in his Favour, but taken as Men out of Credence. 1531–2 Act 23 Hen. VIII, c. 3 §4 [They] shall neuer after be in any credence, nor their othe accepted. 1685 F. Spence Ho. Medici 380 He dispacht away a man of Credence to negociate with them. 1822 E. Nathan Langreath III. 112 Henrietta almost doubted the credence of her senses. |
† b. Comm. = credit n. 9. Obs.
| 1500–20 Dunbar Tidings fr. Session 34 Sum is put owt of his possessioun; Sum herreit, and on creddens dynis. 1514 Let. in Strype Eccl. Mem. I. App. iv. 7 At the receipt of [their wages] they pay for meat and drink..had and obtained upon their credence. 1548 Hall Chron. 212 b, The Merchaunt should stande in adventure, both of losse of stocke and credence. |
† 4. Something, usually a document (see b), which gives claim to credit or confidence; credentials; transf. the message with which a messenger or embassy is entrusted. Obs. exc. as in b.
| ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 444 Þow arte fulle servyde..Of cundit and credense, kayre whene the lykes. 1470–85 Malory Arthur v. ii, Whan themperour Lucyus had wel vnderstonde theyre credence, he was sore meued. 1529 More Dyaloge i. Wks. 105/1 A frende of myne sent ones vnto me a secrete sure frende of his, with certayne credence to be declared vnto me. 1649 Milton Eikon. 184 The King question'd of the Embassadors thir Credence. 1663 Cowley Pindar. Odes, Plagues Egypt iii, If from some God you come..What Sign, what Powers, what Credence do you bring? 1795 Southey Joan of Arc i. 101 That with such credence as prevents delay, He to the King might send me. |
b. letter of credence: a document commending the bearer to confidence; a letter of recommendation or introduction.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 258 Þis letter of credance þei schewed. 1461 Paston Lett. No. 385 II. 5 Suche tydyngs as my Lady of York hath by a lettre of credens. 1548 Hall Chron. 228 He delivered to the kynge, letters of credence..which willed the king to geve credite and perfait faith to the duke. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 123 Sir Robert Sherley had the Kings Letter of Credence or Firman to testifie the truth of it. 1711 Lond. Gaz. No. 4821/3 He [an envoy] carries Letters of Credence with him. 1860 Motley Netherl. (1868) I. viii. 493 Grafigori then asked for a written letter of credence. |
† 5. (One's) charge, trust, care (to which a thing is committed). Obs.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 28 b, Spirituall talentes, whiche our lorde hath deputed to our credence. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. ii. (1887) 138 To commend lyfe and gudes vnto the credence and custodie of the yland⁓men. |
† 6. The tasting or ‘assaying’ of meats formerly practised in a royal or noble household as a precaution against poisoning. Obs.
| c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 1195 in Babees Bk. (1868) 196 Tastynge and credence longethe to blode & birth royalle. Ibid. 1199 Credence is vsed, and tastynge, for drede of poysenynge. |
† b. A ‘company’ of sewers or arrangers of dishes at table. Obs.
| 1486 Bk. St. Albans F vij a, A Credens of Seweris. |
† 7. A side table or sideboard on which vessels and dishes were placed ready for being served at table. Obs. [Cf. med.L. credentia (Du Cange), It. credenza (Florio), F. credence (Cotgr.).]
| 1565 Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 377 While the Pope is yet sitting at the Table, the noblest man within the Court..shall be brought to the Pope's Credence to giue him Water. 1834 Beckford Italy II. 323 A buffet, or credence, three stories high. [1882 Shorthouse J. Inglesant II. vii, Below and beside these were credenzas and cabinets.] |
8. Eccl. In R.C. and Anglican churches: A small side table or shelf on which the eucharistic elements are placed previous to consecration.
| [1646 Prynne Canterb. Doome 123 Lo here in this place and chapel you have..a Credentia or side-table.] 1841 C. Anderson Anc. Models 130 On one side there should be a niche or credence to hold the elements before the oblation. 1845 G. A. Poole Churches xi. 114 The introduction and use of the credence are now becoming common in new churches. 1885 Catholic Dict., In ancient times when the oblations were presented by the faithful during Mass, there was not the same necessity for the use of a credence. |
b. attrib., as credence-shelf, credence-table.
| 1804 Rees Cycl., Credence table..A small table placed on the right hand side of the high altar in Roman Catholic churches, for the purpose of holding several articles made use of in the service of the mass. 1843 Ecclesiologist II. 56 A Fenestrella with Credence-shelf. 1889 Yorksh. Archæol. Jrnl. X. 556 The recess was probably for a credence table to a chantry. |
▪ II. † ˈcredence, v. Obs. rare.
[f. prec.: cf. the parallel OF. créancer, f. créance.]
trans. To give credence to, believe, credit.
| 1522 Skelton Why not to Court 439 In credensyng his tales. 1563 in Strype Ann. Ref. I. xxxiv. 381 Neither the certificate..nor the indictment..are to be credenced. |