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Webster 1913 Edition


Incredulous

In-cred′u-lous

(?; 135)
,
Adj.
[L.
incredulus
. See
In-
not, and
Credulous
.]
1.
Not credulous; indisposed to admit or accept that which is related as true, skeptical; unbelieving.
Bacon.
A fantastical
incredulous
fool.
Bp. Wilkins.
2.
Indicating, or caused by, disbelief or incredulity.
“An incredulous smile.”
Longfellow.
3.
Incredible; not easy to be believed.
[R.]
Shak.

Webster 1828 Edition


Incredulous

INCRED'ULOUS

,
Adj.
[L. incredulus; in and credulus; credo, to believe.] Not believing; indisposed to admit the truth of what is related; refusing or withholding belief.

Definition 2024


incredulous

incredulous

English

Adjective

incredulous (comparative more incredulous, superlative most incredulous)

  1. Skeptical, disbelieving, or unable to believe. [from 16th c.]
  2. Expressing or indicative of incredulity. [from 17th c.]
    • 2009, Reuters (03-18-2009), “Sun Micro Troops Fearful, Incredulous About IBM”, in Wired.com, archived from the original on 2013-06-30
      Reactions at Sun's campus, an hour's drive from San Francisco, ranged from the fearful to the incredulous.
  3. (obsolete, except as nonstandard) Difficult to believe; incredible. [from 17th c.]
    • 1601, William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, III.4:
      Why euery thing adheres togither, that no dramme of a scruple, no scruple of a scruple, no obstacle, no incredulous or vnsafe circumstance [...].
    • 1984, Supreme Court of Illinois, opinion in People v Terrell, 459 N.E.2d 1337, quoted in David C. Brody, James R. Acker, and Wayne A. Logan, Criminal Law, Jones & Bartlett Publishers (2001), ISBN 0-8342-1083-5, page 564,
      Faced with these facts, we find it incredulous that [the] defendant had any intent other than the armed robbery of the service station.

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