Incredulities

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A state of being unable or unwilling to believe something
2. feelings of doubt or skepticism regarding an assertion or claim
3. circumstances where disbelief is prominent, often in response to extraordinary statements

Etymology: "Incredulities" is simply the plural of "incredulity," so it describes several instances or kinds of disbelief rather than a different concept. The noun traces back to Latin "incredulus," meaning "unbelieving," built from the negative prefix "in-" attached to "credulus," the adjective for someone quick to believe. The Latin suffix "-itas," which English renders as "-ity," turned that adjective into the abstract noun "incredulitas." The word reached English in the 15th century as "incredulite," passing through Old French "incredulité" before settling into its modern form. Its history is a clean chain of borrowings: a Latin adjective describing a mind that refuses to accept claims, given a noun form that French and then English adopted for the same idea.

Synonyms: skepticisms, doubts

Antonyms: beliefs, certainties