| 释义 |
credulity|krɪˈdjuːlɪtɪ|
[Late ME. a. F. credulité (12th c. in Littré), or immed. ad. L. crēdulitās, n. of quality f. crēdulus credulous: see -ity.]
†1. Belief, faith, credence; the quality of being a believer; readiness to believe. Obs.
1430–50tr. Higden (Rolls) I. 19 To ȝiffe feithe and credulite to the dictes of those men. 1532More Confut. Tindale Wks. 579/1 The spirite of God..woorketh in man the credulitie and belief by which we..belieue the church. a1633Austin Medit. (1635) 176 Thomas his Absence and Incredulitie hath bred more faith in us, then the credulitie of them all. 1639tr. Du Bosq's Compl. Woman ii. 64 The steddiest in their credulity, may have some doubts. 1794Sullivan View Nat. II. 214 We see, what motion the Scripture gives to the sun..according to the appearance of sense and of popular credulity.
2. Over-readiness to believe; disposition to believe on weak or insufficient grounds.
This sense in early instances is only contextual, and was not implicitly present before the close of the 17th c.
1547J. Harrison Exhort. Scottes 229 A..bayte, alluryng our simplicitie and credulitie. 1605Bp. Hall Medit. & Vows i. §82, I had rather wrong my selfe by credulity, then others by unjust censures and suspitions. 1630R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 188 By his credulity to any tale that is told. 1665Glanvill Sceps. Sci. xiii. 76 An ungrounded Credulity is cry'd up for faith. 1734tr. Rollin's Anc. Hist. (1827) I. 49 His ridiculous credulity in dreams, signs and prodigies. 1754Richardson Grandison IV. xviii. 142 Credulity the child of goodnature. 1866Dickens Lett. II. 260 A humbug, living on the credulity of the people.
b. (with pl.) An instance of credulity.
1836Lytton Athens (1837) II. 401 His very credulities have a philosophy of their own. a1850Rossetti Dante & Circ. ii. (1874) 266 The native home of all credulities and monstrosities. |
