credenza

noun

cre·​den·​za kri-ˈden-zə 

1

: credence sense 3

2

: a sideboard, buffet, or bookcase patterned after a Renaissance credence

especially : one without legs

Illustration of credenza

• credenza 2

Did you know?

In Italian credenza means “belief” or “confidence,” and confidence is just what a member of a noble or royal household needed before eating in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Being poisoned by one’s enemies was an ever-present danger. As a result, it was customary for members of royal or noble families to have a servant taste their food and drink after it left the kitchen and before it was served. The tasting was done at a dining room sideboard, and the name of the sideboard became credenza in Italian.

Examples of credenza in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Valery Madelyn Resin Easter Bunny Figurines Add these distressed resin bunny figurines to coffee tables, credenzas, and dining room tables. —Ali Faccenda, People.com, 8 Apr. 2025

Long relegated to dining rooms and underutilized walls, these storage cabinets (alternately referred to as credenzas or buffet tables) are having a moment. —Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 4 Apr. 2025

For the last 50 years, the photos have sat largely untouched, tucked away in the drawer of an antique credenza in Ms. Clark’s Van Nuys ranch house. —Nathan Taylor Pemberton, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

Marble Tabletop Tray Decorate coffee tables and credenzas with this marble tabletop tray. —Ali Faccenda, People.com, 22 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, literally, belief, confidence, from Medieval Latin credentia

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for credenza

• cadenza
• influenza
• parainfluenza