Is there a word which means "willingness to believe"?

Credibility is the quality of being believable. So if something is far-fetched, it stretches my ... what? People often say say that it stretches their credulity, but this is almost synonomous with gullibility, and is not the word which is wanted. What would the correct word be?

Naivety, perhaps?

Credulity is the only word I can think of that fits. Credulousness is a very clumsy alternative.

While "gullible" would work for me, I see that it also means "easily duped"; that may not be specific enough for your needs. Naivety, to me, doesn't work because of the implication of lack of sophistication. Like "gullible", it doesn't seem to be specific. So, I have to agree with arnie that "credulity" works best. However, I will ask some of my logophilic friends. Does "credulity" not work for you because of the implication of believing "too readily"?

Yes Kalleh, that's it. If I say The Prime Minister's story stretched my credulity I'm suggesting that I'm gullible. Not what I want -- I want a word that describes my normal willingness to believe, not my gullibility or naivety.

Could you turn it round the other way and say the believability was stretched?

I just googled the phrase "willingness to believe" and came up with 3420 hits. It seems we have no set word for this other than the ones already mentioned.

Oh wait... what about faith?

receptiveness ?

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The structure you're looking for is: The Prime Minister's story stretched (or, better yet, taxed) my willingness to believe him."

Who says the right word has to be a single word? Often it isn't.


(Hot damn, two consecutive winners! I'm on a roll and it's not even my day to be here!)

CJ, I think you must be right; I've never been able to think of a word, and none of the suggestions here seem to quite convey the right meaning. It's alsways possible to re-phrase, of course, but it's such a common concept that I'm surprised there is no word for it. The need is obvious; so much so, in fact, that credulity is pressed into service, although its meaning is wrong.

Well, I disagree with CJ (what else is new???). I think there should be a word for it. I will ask our dear friend, Robb, if there is a German word for it. I bet there is!