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  • creed
    creed
    noun
    any system, doctrine, or formula of religious belief, as of a denomination.
  • Creed
    Creed
    noun
    Frederick. 1871–1957, Canadian inventor, resident in Scotland from 1897, noted for his invention of the teleprinter, first used in 1912
Synonyms

creed

American  
[kreed] / krid /

noun

creeds plural
  1. any system, doctrine, or formula of religious belief, as of a denomination.

    Synonyms:
    dogma, credo, conviction, faith
  2. any system or codification of belief or of opinion.

    Synonyms:
    dogma, credo, conviction, faith
  3. an authoritative, formulated statement of the chief articles of Christian belief, as the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, or the Athanasian Creed.

  4. the creed. Apostles' Creed.


creed 1 British  
/ kriːd /

noun

  1. a concise, formal statement of the essential articles of Christian belief, such as the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene Creed

  2. any statement or system of beliefs or principles

"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

Creed 2 British  
/ kriːd /

noun

  1. Frederick. 1871–1957, Canadian inventor, resident in Scotland from 1897, noted for his invention of the teleprinter, first used in 1912

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Etymology

Origin of creed

First recorded before 1000; Middle English crede, Old English crēda, from Latin crēdō “I believe”; see credo

Explanation

Without reading the long document about the group's beliefs — its creed — he knew he didn't fit in, because he just couldn't bow to the 12-foot statue of a rabbit, no matter what it symbolized. A creed can be a formal doctrine, or system of beliefs, for a church or religious group, or it can be a philosophy, or personal set of beliefs. The origins of the word are in the Latin crēdō, "I believe," once specific to the Christian faith, but by the 17th century it was used for many different faiths. Companies, societies, and disciplines might also adopt a creed — as in a political creed, a national creed, or a management creed — that lays out a particular belief-system or way of doing things.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing creed

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.

See Examples For:

Instead of suffering through that, I watched people of every imaginable race, creed, sexual orientation and color enjoying life.

From Salon Jul. 31, 2026

Aside from defined doctrine such as the creed or the evil of abortion, there is a wide berth for opinion on social issues—labor, immigration and war.

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 28, 2026

That creed is certainly still part of the ideological atmosphere in this country, but multiple generations of Americans since the 1960s have grown up surrounded by contrary evidence.

From Salon May 31, 2026

Therrien’s generic chapel stands not for any particular denomination or specific religious creed, but simply for the common reality of established doctrine operating throughout daily life.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 25, 2025

Mr. Stonecrop intoned his creed and smiled as if pleased with himself.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

Chief Executive Joe Creed said it was the first time Caterpillar generated over $20 billion in sales and revenues in a single quarter.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 4, 2026

It was the first title released by Vantage Studios, a new subsidiary helming Ubisoft's top franchises including "Assassin's Creed", "Far Cry" and "Rainbow Six".

From Barron's Jul. 23, 2026

Aside from the Assassin’s Creed remake, the lineup for the current fiscal year includes “Rayman Legends Retold,” scheduled to launch on Oct.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 23, 2026

The year-on-year comparison was weighed down by the lack of a major release in the quarter to contend with last year's blockbuster "Assassin's Creed Shadows", released in March, Ubisoft said in a statement.

From Barron's Jul. 23, 2026

It’s a Friday night, and were not at the Waffle House, and we’re not playing Assassin’s Creed in Nick’s basement, and we’re not pining for Blue.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

For decades Auroville held fast to its lofty ideals as a self-governing haven for yoga enthusiasts and seekers of spiritual freedom of "all creeds and nationalities".

From Barron's Jun. 25, 2026

What makes Christianity work, and always has, is the gathering together of the faithful to worship in song and in recitation of ancient creeds affirming creation, sin, salvation, and the death and resurrection of Christ.

From The Wall Street Journal Apr. 19, 2026

The phrase, of disputed origin, is used to suggest a commonality between people of all creeds and races, a suggestion that people are all the same under the skin.

From BBC Sep. 18, 2025

While watching children of all races and creeds play during recess, he recalled one of his earliest memories as the new kid.

From Slate Dec. 4, 2024

We are fundamentally opposed to the principle and practice of compulsory segregation in our American society, whether of races or classes or creeds.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

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