incredulity
/ˌɪnkɹɪˈdjuːlɪti/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.53 in modern English
17
Scrabble Score
11
Letters
5
Syllables
10
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Unwillingness or inability to believe; doubt about the truth or verisimilitude of something; disbelief.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Wide went her eyes in wonder and incredulity, as she beheld this seeming apparition risen from the dead."
- "It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face."
- "At any other time Jessamy would have laughed at the expressions that chased each other over his freckled face: crossness left over from his struggle with the baby; incredulity; distress; and finally delight."
Etymology
Attested since 1430. From Middle English incredulite, from Old French incredulité, from Late Latin incredulitas, from Latin incredulus (“unbelieving”) + -itas (“-ity”), equivalent to incredulous + -ity.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: incredulite, incredulité, incredulitas, incredulus
- Suffix: incredulous