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• credo
  credo

  noun

  the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed.
• Credo
  Credo

  noun

  the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed

credo

American  

[kree-doh, krey-] / ˈkri doʊ, ˈkreɪ- /

noun

• credos
  plural

1. (often initial capital letter) the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed.

2. (often initial capital letter) a musical setting of the creed, usually of the Nicene Creed.

3. any creed or formula of belief.

   Synonyms:

   philosophy, tenet, doctrine

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Credo ¹ British  

/ ˈkreɪ-, ˈkriːdəʊ /

noun

1. the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed

2. a musical setting of the Creed

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credo ² British  

/ ˈkreɪ-, ˈkriːdəʊ /

noun

1. any formal or authorized statement of beliefs, principles, or opinions

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• credos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of credo

1150–1200; Middle English < Latin: literally, I believe; first word of the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds in Latin

Explanation

Credo is Latin for, literally, "I believe," and originally meant a particular religious belief. Now it has the far broader meaning of any system of principles that guide a person or group. There's often a faintly jokey air to the word as used today, perhaps in recognition that it once popularly held such a high-minded meaning. A hedonist's credo might be simply "party on," or "enjoy the ride;" an actor's "the show must go on." Politicians have credos, and so too, presumably, do rappers and weather forecasters.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

credo Credo credos

In many ways, this could be Byrd’s eternal credo.

From Salon ● Jul. 10, 2026

McCollum borrowed his credo from “The Art of War.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

The fifth Puritan credo that’s still with us is "hard work is holy, while idleness is a sin."

From Salon ● May 26, 2025

He gives the example of the space marines, who live by the credo "they shall know no fear".

From BBC ● Dec. 10, 2024

By translating credo into the English first person plural, we believe, the Church no longer reminds the listener that he is alone.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez

Credo forecast fiscal 2027 first-quarter revenue of $465 million to $475 million, which investors found light.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

Looking ahead, Credo forecasts revenue between $465 million and $475 million in the fiscal 2027 first quarter.

From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026

Astera Labs provides semiconductor connectivity, Credo offers high-speed data connections, and Marvell works on AI chips for Amazon.

From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026

The companies’ combined portfolio is expected to drive more than $500 million in optical revenue in fiscal 2027, Credo said.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 14, 2026

"My Credo, my Paternoster, and my Ave are all my Latin."

From House of Torment A Tale of the Remarkable Adventures of Mr. John Commendone, Gentleman to King Phillip II of Spain at the English Court by Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull

These include its “language of righteousness, of piety, of guilt, of sin,” along with “orthodoxies, credos, purity tests and jargon.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

“Less is more” was famously one of the composer Stephen Sondheim’s aesthetic credos.

From New York Times ● Mar. 8, 2023

Here’s a look at crackpot credos that flourished and foundered in L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 21, 2022

The game studios even established their own separate set of principles, although the credos frequently changed and sometimes were in tension with one another, say four people who worked there.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 29, 2021

Religions of the world, with their respective credos and objects and forms of worship.

From The Nuttall Encyclopædia Being a Concise and Comprehensive Dictionary of General Knowledge by P. Austin Nuttall

Related Words

• creed
• philosophy
• tenet