Credulous

Credulous is an adjective used to describe a person or attitude that is ready to believe something with little or no evidence. It typically carries a negative connotation, implying naivety or gullibility, though it can describe a tendency rather than a fixed trait.

Etymology: The word comes from Latin credulus, meaning “believing, trusting,” from credere “to believe.”

Usage and nuance: Credulous is commonly used when criticizing uncritical acceptance of rumors, dubious claims, or sensational statements. The related noun credulity denotes the tendency to believe easily; credulousness and credulously are the adverb and noun forms. Some writers distinguish credulous from gullible, suggesting credulous favors openness to new information, while gullible emphasizes susceptibility to deception; in practice the distinction is subtle and context-dependent. In scientific or skeptical discourse, credulity may be framed as a cognitive bias or epistemic posture that can hinder evidence-based judgment. Examples include a credulous reader accepting questionable headlines, or a credulous audience persuaded by a charismatic but unsubstantiated claim.

See also: credulity, gullibility, skepticism, incredulous.