incredulity

English

Etymology

Attested since 1430. From Old French incredulité, from Latin incredulitas, from incredulus (“unbelieving”) + -itas (“-ity”)

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˌɪn.kɹəˈdjuːl.ɪ.ti/, X-SAMPA: /%In.kr\@"djuLl.I.ti/

Noun

incredulity (uncountable)

1. Unwillingness or inability to believe; doubt about the truth or verisimilitude of something; disbelief.
   • 1916, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar, ch. 24:

     Wide went her eyes in wonder and incredulity, as she beheld this seeming apparition risen from the dead.

2. (rare) Religious disbelief, lack of faith.

Synonyms

• incredulousness

Antonyms

• credulity

Related terms

• incredibility
• incredulous

Translations

unwillingness to believe; doubt about the truth of something

• Dutch: ongeloof (nl) n
• Finnish: epäusko (fi), epäilys (fi)
• French: incrédulité (fr)
• German: Ungläubigkeit (de) f
• Romanian: incredulitate (ro) f, scepticism (ro) n

• Russian: недоверчивость (ru) (nedovérčivostʹ) f, недоверие (ru) (nedovérije) n
• Spanish: incredulidad (es) f
• Swedish: misstrogenhet (sv) c

religious disbelief

• Dutch: ongelovigheid
• French: incrédulité
• German: Ungläubigkeit (de) f

• Romanian: necredință (ro) f
• Russian: неверие (ru) (nevérije) n
• Spanish: incredulidad (es) f