credit

[kred-it]

noun

1. commendation or honor given for some action, quality, etc..

   The charity deserves credit for helping many poor families make ends meet during the recession.

2. a source of pride or honor.

   You are a credit to your school.

3. 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.

4. Usually credits

   1. 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.

   2. a similar acknowledgment in a publication.

      The paper’s policy is to list credits for theater productions at the end of reviews.

5. trustworthiness; credibility.

   a witness of credit.

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

7. favorable repute; reputation; esteem.

8. Finance.

   1. reputation of solvency and honesty, entitling a person or business to be trusted in buying or borrowing.

      Your credit is good.

   2. 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.

   3. the time allowed for payment of goods or services obtained on trust.

      90 days' credit.

   4. 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.

9. 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.

10. Education.

    1. official acceptance and recording of the work completed by a student in a particular course of study.

    2. one unit of academic credit; a credit hour.

11. Bookkeeping.

    1. an entry of payment or value received on an account.

    2. the right-hand side of an account on which such entries are made (debit ).

    3. an entry, or the total shown, on the credit side.

verb (used with object)

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

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

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

4. Education.,  to award educational credits to (often followed bywith ).

   They credited me with three hours in history.

verb phrase

1. credit to / with,  to ascribe to a (thing, person, etc.).

   In former times many herbs were credited with healing powers.

credit

/ ˈkrɛdɪt /

noun

1. commendation or approval, as for an act or quality

   she was given credit for her work

2. a person or thing serving as a source of good influence, repute, ability, etc

   a credit to the team

3. the quality of being believable or trustworthy

   that statement had credit

4. influence or reputation coming from the approval or good opinion of others

   he acquired credit within the community

5. belief in the truth, reliability, quality, etc, of someone or something

   I would give credit to that philosophy

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

7. 1. the positive balance in a person's bank account

   2. the sum of money that a bank makes available to a client in excess of any deposit

8. 1. the practice of permitting a buyer to receive goods or services before payment

   2. the time permitted for paying for such goods or services

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

10. accounting

    1. acknowledgment of an income, liability, or capital item by entry on the right-hand side of an account

    2. the right-hand side of an account

    3. an entry on this side

    4. the total of such entries

    5. ( as modifier ) Compare debit

       credit entries

11. short for tax credit

12. education

    1. a distinction awarded to an examination candidate obtaining good marks

    2. a section of an examination syllabus satisfactorily completed, as in higher and professional education

13. an order authorizing a named person to draw money from correspondents of the issuer

14. with payment to be made at a future date

verb

1. (foll by with) to ascribe (to); give credit (for)

   they credited him with the discovery

2. to accept as true; believe

3. to do credit to

4. accounting

   1. to enter (an item) as a credit in an account

   2. to acknowledge (a payer) by making such an entry Compare debit

5. to award a credit to (a student)

credit

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

Other Word Forms

• creditless adjective
• overcredit verb
• precredit verb (used with object)
• supercredit noun
• uncredited adjective
• well-credited adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of credit¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of credit¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

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

2. to one's credit, deserving of praise or recognition; admirable.

   It is to his credit that he freely admitted his guilt.

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

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

Blunt is, to her credit, bringing as much as she can to her character.

From Salon

Unions including the WGA lobbied for California to boost annual funding for its film and TV tax credit program and succeeded in raising that amount to $750 million, from $330 million.

From Los Angeles Times

Singer Lola Young has taken legal action against one of the producers of her hit single Messy in a dispute over songwriting credits.

From BBC

Earlier this week, Democrats in the Senate refused to vote for a Republican short-term funding bill, which excluded an extension of enhanced premium tax credits.

From Los Angeles Times

The credits also provide clues that occasionally, the film set must have felt like a doggie daycare.

From Salon

Related Words

• balance 
• bond 
• loan 
• mortgage 
• stock 
• wealth 

When To Use

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.