cred

American  

[kred] / krɛd /

noun

Slang.

1. the quality of being believable or worthy of respect, especially within a particular social, professional, or other group.

   If you wear this t-shirt, you’ll be earning geek cred.

   Both chefs have plenty of Southern cred.

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cred British  

/ krɛd /

noun

1. slang short for credibility

   street cred

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Etymology

Origin of cred

Shortened form of credibility

Example Sentences

In a market where a few tenths could make or break a car’s street cred, the auto-shifted versions soon became the only versions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

But the company says it later struggled to compete with the street cred of brands such as Adidas and Nike.

From Barron's • Jan. 8, 2026

A place in the S&P 500 is a form of street cred for components, plus it means that funds tracking the benchmark index will have to buy up shares.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 8, 2025

Watching a Rajinikanth movie is less a screening than a carnival that is a heady mix of street cred, working-class pride, communal revelry and delirious joy.

From BBC • Aug. 14, 2025

“I know. I was surprised too. But I think I’ve earned street cred with her because of this whole director shtick.”

From "From Twinkle, with Love" by Sandhya Menon