accredited
Americanadjective
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officially recognized as meeting the essential requirements, as of academic excellence.
accredited schools.
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provided with official credentials, as by a government.
an accredited diplomatic representative.
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accepted as authoritative.
an accredited theory.
Other Word Forms
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.
Mexican officials stated the deceased CIA officials were not accredited for operations, and the federal government was not informed of their activities.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
"This was a legitimate download by a legitimately accredited organisation," he said.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Some journalists, accredited by the information ministry, were nonetheless held up for about an hour at a checkpoint outside the venue as a convoy of VIPs swept past.
From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026
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
Of course, the same criticism could be leveled against America’s fully accredited four-year colleges.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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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.