credit

[ kred-it ]

/ ˈkrɛd ɪt /

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See synonyms for: credit / credited / credits on Thesaurus.com

noun

commendation or honor given for some action, quality, etc.: The charity deserves credit for helping many poor families make ends meet during the recession.

a source of pride or honor: You are a credit to your school.

the ascription or acknowledgment of something as due or properly attributable to a person, institution, etc.: He got credit for research actually done by his colleague.It is always best to give credit where credit’s due.

Usually credits .

acknowledgment of a person’s contribution to the making of a movie or television program, typically displayed in a list that scrolls down the screen at the beginning or end: She got screen credits for photography.
a similar acknowledgment in a publication: The paper’s policy is to list credits for theater productions at the end of reviews.

trustworthiness; credibility: a witness of credit.

influence or authority resulting from the confidence of others or from one's reputation.

favorable repute; reputation; esteem.

Finance.

reputation of solvency and honesty, entitling a person or business to be trusted in buying or borrowing: Your credit is good.
an agreement to entrust a buyer with goods or services without immediate payment, based on confidence in the buyer’s ability and intention to pay: She bought the air conditioner on credit with no money down.
the time allowed for payment of goods or services obtained on trust: 90 days' credit.
an amount of money that a financial institution lends or makes available to a client, to be repaid typically in monthly installments including interest: The bank extended the couple credit to finance the remodeling of their home.

a sum of money due to a person; anything valuable standing on the credit side of an account against which a person may draw: He has a store credit of $50.

Education.

official acceptance and recording of the work completed by a student in a particular course of study.
one unit of academic credit; a credit hour.

Bookkeeping.

an entry of payment or value received on an account.
the right-hand side of an account on which such entries are made (opposed to debit).
an entry, or the total shown, on the credit side.

verb (used with object)

to believe; put confidence in; have faith in; trust.

to bring honor, esteem, etc., to; reflect well upon.

Bookkeeping. to enter upon the credit side of an account; give credit for or to.

Education. to award educational credits to (often followed by with): They credited me with three hours in history.

Verb Phrases

credit to / with to ascribe to a (thing, person, etc.): In former times many herbs were credited with healing powers.

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Idioms about credit

do someone credit, to be a source of honor or distinction for someone.Also do credit to someone.

to one's credit, deserving of praise or recognition; admirable: It is to his credit that he freely admitted his guilt.

Origin of credit

First recorded in 1525–35; from Middle French credit “belief, trust, reputation, esteem, money lent or borrowed,” from Old Italian credito “financial transaction with payment deferred,” from Latin crēditum “loan, debt,” noun use of neuter of crēditus, past participle of crēdere “to believe, confide, entrust, give credit”

synonym study for credit

8a. Credit, repute, reputation, standing refer to one's status in the estimation of a community. Credit refers to business and financial status and the amount of money for which a person will be trusted. Repute is particularly what is reported about someone, the favor in which the person is held, etc.: a man of fine repute among his acquaintances. Reputation is the moral and other character commonly ascribed to someone: of unblemished reputation. Standing is one's position in a community, or rank and condition in life: a man of good standing and education.

OTHER WORDS FROM credit

cred·it·less, adjectiveo·ver·cred·it, verbpre·cred·it, verb (used with object)su·per·cred·it, noun

un·cred·it·ed, adjectivewell-cred·it·ed, adjective

Words nearby credit

credentialism, credenza, credibility, credibility gap, credible, credit, creditable, credit account, credit bureau, credit card, credit crunch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

MORE ABOUT CREDIT

What does credit mean in credit management?

The term credit has several financial meanings, but all of them are based on the confidence and trust that lenders or vendors have in an individual’s ability to pay in a timely fashion. (Credit is ultimately derived from Latin crēdere “to believe, entrust, give credit.”)

Credit can involve entrusting a buyer with goods or services without requiring immediate payment. Credit can also involve a transaction in which a lender provides financing to a borrower in return for future monthly repayments, usually including interest.

And if a person has a reputation for financial solvency and honesty, we can say that he or she has good credit.

Examples of credit in a sentence

“For applicants with excellent credit (740+), the average interest rate on a personal loan is typically between 12 and 14%.”
—“When Are Personal Loans A Good Idea?” Rocket Loans. Retrieved March 15, 2020.

“If you do qualify for a personal loan with bad credit, you can expect higher interest rates, lower approval amounts and less favorable terms.”
—“How To Get A Personal Loan,” Rocket Loans. Retrieved March 15, 2020.

“To see if you qualify for a loan, first check your credit, as that can be an important decision-making factor for the lender.”
—“What Is A Personal Loan?” Rocket Loans. Retrieved March 15, 2020.

How to use credit in a sentence

Issues around one wage, getting rid of the tip credit and paying waitstaff not sub-minimum-wage anymore, but with that comes tip sharing.
Tom Colicchio Hopes (and Fears) COVID-19 Will Change the Restaurant Industry|Pallabi Munsi|September 16, 2020|Ozy
The first company Team8 Fintech is building will provide an engine to evaluate credit risk of small- and medium-sized enterprises in e-commerce.
She was one of the world’s few female bank CEOs. Now she’s founding a fintech venture group|Claire Zillman, reporter|September 15, 2020|Fortune
Paycheck Protection Program funds are gone, and for most businesses, revenue hasn’t nearly recovered — but they have neither access to unlimited credit nor the means to pay it back.
The Big Corporate Rescue and the America That’s Too Small to Save|by Lydia DePillis, Justin Elliott and Paul Kiel|September 12, 2020|ProPublica
I started my credit card processing company, Gravity Payments, 16 years ago to support these small businesses.
How we can save small business from coronavirus-induced extinction|matthewheimer|September 10, 2020|Fortune

They often cite the trillions in fiscal spending and super-loose monetary policy that have deluged the economy with cheap credit.
Global markets dip as investors again sour on tech stocks|Bernhard Warner|September 10, 2020|Fortune
But give the Kingdom credit for its sense of mercy: The lashes will be administered only 50 at a time.
In Defense of Blasphemy|Michael Tomasky|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
To his credit, Huckabee is conscious of the fact that he will need a cluster of deep-pocketed patrons and bundlers.
Can Huckabee Convert the GOP’s Moneymen?|Lloyd Green|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
To be sure, Jefferson did share the credit, but not in the way such a resolution might be interpreted.
Forget the Resolutions; Try a Few Declarations|Kevin Bleyer|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That could include private financial or personal information—like the credit-card numbers you used to pay for the corrupted Wi-Fi.
How ‘Ethical’ Hotel Chain Marriott Gouges Guests in the Name of Wi-Fi Security|Kyle Chayka|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And much of the credit to her transformation is owed to a finishing school that caters to women just like her.
Inside A Finishing School for Transwomen|Sharon Adarlo|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After all, here was a babe equipped to face the exigencies of a censorious world; in looks and apparel a credit to any father.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol|William J. Locke
The result of the restoration of trade, banking, and credit to earlier and more normal conditions has been steadily apparent.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
He went to a bank in the little town where he had other friends from whom he had never asked credit.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
I must make no mistake, and blunder into a national type of features, all wrong; if I make your mask, it must do us credit.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
The so-called war credit banks are designed to serve this purpose.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

British Dictionary definitions for credit

credit

/ (ˈkrɛdɪt) /

noun

commendation or approval, as for an act or qualityshe was given credit for her work

a person or thing serving as a source of good influence, repute, ability, etca credit to the team

the quality of being believable or trustworthythat statement had credit

influence or reputation coming from the approval or good opinion of othershe acquired credit within the community

belief in the truth, reliability, quality, etc, of someone or somethingI would give credit to that philosophy

a sum of money or equivalent purchasing power, as at a shop, available for a person's use

the positive balance in a person's bank account
the sum of money that a bank makes available to a client in excess of any deposit

the practice of permitting a buyer to receive goods or services before payment
the time permitted for paying for such goods or services

reputation for solvency and commercial or financial probity, inducing confidence among creditors

accounting

acknowledgment of an income, liability, or capital item by entry on the right-hand side of an account
the right-hand side of an account
an entry on this side
the total of such entries
(as modifier)credit entries Compare debit (def. 1)

short for tax credit

education

a distinction awarded to an examination candidate obtaining good marks
a section of an examination syllabus satisfactorily completed, as in higher and professional education

letter of credit an order authorizing a named person to draw money from correspondents of the issuer

on credit with payment to be made at a future date

verb -its, -iting or -ited (tr)

(foll by with) to ascribe (to); give credit (for)they credited him with the discovery

to accept as true; believe

to do credit to

accounting

to enter (an item) as a credit in an account
to acknowledge (a payer) by making such an entryCompare debit (def. 2)

to award a credit to (a student)

Derived forms of credit

creditless, adjective

Word Origin for credit

C16: from Old French crédit, from Italian credito, from Latin crēditum loan, from crēdere to believe

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for credit

credit

The ability to obtain goods, money, or services in return for a promise to pay at some later date.

Other Idioms and Phrases with credit

credit

see do someone proud (credit to); extend credit to; get credit for; give credit where credit is due.

credit

Idioms about credit

Origin of credit

synonym study for credit

OTHER WORDS FROM credit

Words nearby credit

MORE ABOUT CREDIT

What does credit mean in credit management?

Examples of credit in a sentence

Other terms connected with the topic of credit

Words related to credit

How to use credit in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for credit

Derived forms of credit

Word Origin for credit

Cultural definitions for credit

Other Idioms and Phrases with credit