credo
noun
the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed.
credo
American
[kree-doh, krey-]
/ ˈkri doʊ, ˈkreɪ- /
noun
-
credos
plural
-
(often initial capital letter) the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed.
-
(often initial capital letter) a musical setting of the creed, usually of the Nicene Creed.
-
any creed or formula of belief.
- Synonyms:
- philosophy, tenet, doctrine
Credo
1
British
/ ˈkreɪ-, ˈkriːdəʊ /
noun
-
the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed
-
a musical setting of the Creed
credo
2
British
/ ˈkreɪ-, ˈkriːdəʊ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of credo
1150–1200; Middle English < Latin: literally, I believe; first word of the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds in Latin
Explanation
Credo is Latin for, literally, "I believe," and originally meant a particular religious belief. Now it has the far broader meaning of any system of principles that guide a person or group. There's often a faintly jokey air to the word as used today, perhaps in recognition that it once popularly held such a high-minded meaning. A hedonist's credo might be simply "party on," or "enjoy the ride;" an actor's "the show must go on." Politicians have credos, and so too, presumably, do rappers and weather forecasters.
Vocabulary lists containing credo
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Believe It or Not: Cred
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cred
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Its credo was “a rejection of powerlessness and the creation of conditions for civilized behavior. We are not overmatched by the problems we face.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
If David Nihill was a philosopher, his credo might be “I digress, therefore I am.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026
You also note that throughout the book you explore an eighth credo, the divide between "grace" and "nature" that "distinguishes and creates a hierarchy between humans and the rest of the planet."
From Salon ● May 26, 2025
The fifth Puritan credo that’s still with us is "hard work is holy, while idleness is a sin."
From Salon ● May 26, 2025
By translating credo into the English first person plural, we believe, the Church no longer reminds the listener that he is alone.
From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez
Credo Technology’s stock fell 14% after-hours despite exceeding fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter earnings and revenue expectations.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
Analysts believe Credo could potentially be a winner from the AI boom because the company makes the copper cables needed to connect servers.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
Credo Technology Group soared 21% after the electrical cable provider said it would buy chip maker DustPhotonics as it bids to become the dominant player in AI connectivity.
From Barron's ● Apr. 14, 2026
Credo said the deal will position the company to address the demand for both electrical and optical interconnects through a vertically integrated stack that includes its SerDes and digital signal processor technology.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026
The nearest approach to a reason that can be imagined for it is the Credo quia incredibile est to which philosophers in despair have occasionally been known to resort.
From Old-Fashioned Ethics and Common-Sense Metaphysics With Some of Their Applications by Thornton, William Thomas
Bronner inherited his verbosity and gumption from his grandfather, Emanuel Bronner, who originally crammed all-caps, feel-good credos onto the labels of his soap bottles in the 1940s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
All of these sports have their own history and methods; specific forms, procedures and even credos that those who take up the fight swear by.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2025
Here’s a look at crackpot credos that flourished and foundered in L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2022
The game studios even established their own separate set of principles, although the credos frequently changed and sometimes were in tension with one another, say four people who worked there.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 2021
After all thy tonsures and chorales, thy credos and sackcloth, wilt thou admit the Evil One in the guise of a melody, in whose chromatic intervals lie dimpled cheek and sunny tress!
From Franz Liszt by Huneker, James
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
