credendum means something to be believed; an article of faith.
credendum is pronounced /kɹɪˈdɛndəm/.
Why “credendum” is a great word
Something to be believed; a foundational article of faith accepted not as proven fact but as a necessary precondition for thought. From the Latin credendum, neuter gerundive of credere ('to believe, trust'). Unlike 'dogma,' which is an authoritative decree, or 'opinion,' which is a personal and revisable judgment, a credendum is a belief held as a vulnerable obligation—the silent contract signed with an idea. It is the unproven axiom of a philosophy, the unspoken myth of a ceremony, the private loyalty undergirding a public life. To hold a credendum is to sustain a belief not by evidence, but by the very act of trusting, where certainty begins not with proof, but with necessity.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin credendum.
noun
- Something to be believed; an article of faith.e.g.“the great articles and credenda of Christianity” — 1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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