credentialism
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of credentialism
First recorded in 1965–70; credential + -ism
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.
Doomsday warnings about artificial intelligence are replete with claims that AI-enabled cheating is pervasive, that students will soon abandon college en masse, and that for those who remain, rampant credentialism will quash the liberal-arts spirit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
And that leads to credentialism, he argued, with “unjust barriers to upward mobility for lots of people.”
From Washington Post ● Mar. 20, 2022
Graham is getting excellent vibes about her at the dump, where fleets of truck drivers are accosting him to share their takes on elite credentialism.
From Slate ● Feb. 5, 2022
They work hard to discredit "lived experiences" because the world of credentialism has thus far blocked competition for them.
From Salon ● Feb. 2, 2021
News & World Report college rankings, in 1983, and the rise of the test-prep industry helped create a new culture of competitive credentialism.
From The New Yorker ● Sep. 2, 2019
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
