accreditation

American

[uh-kred-i-tey-shuhn] / əˌkrɛd ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

the act of giving official authority or approval, or the resulting status; certification.

Today they officially opened the process of accreditation for media wanting to cover World Youth Day.
the act of certifying an educational institution or program as meeting all official formal requirements of academic excellence, facilities, curriculum, etc.; the status of being so certified.

Universities applying for membership in the association must have undergone, at the national or regional level, a process of quality assurance or accreditation.
the act of attributing or ascribing some quality, status, or action to a person or thing.

His other poems added to his accreditation as a first-class poet.

Other Word Forms

reaccreditation noun

Etymology

Origin of accreditation

accredit ( def. ) + -ation ( def. )

Explanation

Accreditation is the act of granting credit or recognition, especially to an educational institution that maintains suitable standards. Accreditation is necessary to any person or institution in education that needs to prove that they meet a general standard of quality. If you earn a teaching certificate, then you have an accreditation to teach. Usually you'll hear this word in relation to institutions like colleges and universities.

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Vocabulary lists containing accreditation

Believe It or Not: Cred

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cred

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Selection Vocabulary 3, Unit 1

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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.

City Council budget hearing last year that the Toronto Zoo lost its accreditation in 2012 by sending its elephants to a sanctuary at the direction of the Toronto City Council.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

The UK, in response, revoked accreditation for a Russian diplomat and a diplomatic spouse, saying it would "not stand for intimidation of British embassy staff and their families".

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

The spokesperson did not respond when asked whether that accreditation would be reexamined.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

The fund aims to be accessible to all investors with no accreditation requirements, investment minimums or performance fees, unlike many traditional private-market vehicles, the company said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

As a rule, he didn’t trust myths and folktales; they lacked accreditation.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023