credula

Credula is the feminine form of the Latin adjective credulus, meaning trusting or credulous. In Latin grammar, credula agrees with feminine nouns in the nominative singular. The corresponding masculine and neuter forms are credulus and credulum, respectively. The term carries connotations of gullibility or a disposition to believe readily, and the related noun credulitas denotes credulity or willingness to believe.

Etymology traces credula to the verb credo, meaning to believe. The root crēd- appears in many Latin words linked to belief, trust, and evidence. In classical and post-classical usage, credula can describe a person who is easily persuaded or inclined to accept what others say, often with an implicit judgment about the adequacy of evidence.

In modern English contexts, credula is encountered primarily in scholarly Latin phrases, quotations, or titles, and is seldom used as an ordinary English word. It may appear in mottoes, inscriptions, or literary works that draw on Latin terminology to convey concepts related to trust or naivety. When used outside Latin, it is typically as a proper name, a character descriptor in fiction, or a stylistic allusion rather than a standard lexical entry.

Related terms include credulity and credulous, which express the broader English equivalents of believing easily. Credula thus serves as a linguistic link between Latin grammar and the broader family of words dealing with belief and trust.