accredited
Americanadjective
-
officially recognized as meeting the essential requirements, as of academic excellence.
accredited schools.
-
provided with official credentials, as by a government.
an accredited diplomatic representative.
-
accepted as authoritative.
an accredited theory.
Other Word Forms
- nonaccredited adjective
- unaccredited adjective
- well-accredited adjective
Etymology
Origin of accredited
Explanation
When you're accredited in your profession, you've shown that you meet certain standards. Schools and colleges are accredited by various educational organizations, dentists are accredited by the American Dental Association, and other professionals are accredited by their own organizations. The key to accredited is the word in the middle: credit. If you give someone credit, you praise them and recognize something they've done. Accredited is similar: If you’re a school or a doctor or another kind of professional, being accredited means you've been tested and evaluated by an outside person or committee and these specialists agree that you meet the standards of that profession. When people hire you, they can be assured that you know what you’re doing.
Vocabulary lists containing accredited
Believe It or Not: Cred
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cred
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Latin Love, Vol I: Credere: to believe (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.
Without them, the zoo no longer met Assn. of Zoos and Aquariums standards requiring accredited zoos to have at least three Asian elephants.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026
An independent panel of accredited arbitrators will then review the case.
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
Eni said it had no direct contracts with accused companies and received shipments through an accredited supplier who "immediately suspended all operations with the companies involved in the investigation".
From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026
When it came to wind-tunnel testing, it couldn’t get its hands on Pirelli’s specialized Formula 1 tires, which are available only to accredited teams.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
Unfortunately, the school had no accredited sulking program and I dropped out, more despondent than ever.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
